title: A Macroscopic Model for Simulating the Mucociliary Clearance in a Bronchial Bifurcation: The Role of Surface Tension.
abstract: The mucociliary clearance in the bronchial tree is the main mechanism by which the lungs clear themselves of deposited particulate matter. In this work, a macroscopic model of the clearance mechanism is proposed. Lubrication theory is applied for thin films with both surface tension effects and a moving wall boundary. The flow field is computed by the use of a finite-volume scheme on an unstructured grid that replicates a bronchial bifurcation. The carina in bronchial bifurcations is of special interest because it is a location of increased deposition of inhaled particles. In this study, the mucus flow is computed for different values of the surface tension. It is found that a minimal surface tension is necessary for efficiently removing the mucus while maintaining the mucus film thickness at physiological levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau Cedex 91128, France e-mail: mihalis@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manolidis
authors.affiliation: Professor Inserm, U955 (Equipe13) and CNRS ERL 7240, Cell and Respiratory Biomechanics, Université Paris Est, Créteil 94010, France e-mail: daniel.isabey@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Isabey
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U955 (Equipe13) and CNRS ERL 7240, Cell and Respiratory Biomechanics, Université Paris Est, Créteil 94010, France e-mail: bruno.louis@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.affiliation: Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 e-mail: grotberg@umich.edu.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Grotberg
authors.affiliation: Professor Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau Cedex 91128, France; Inserm, U955 (Equipe13) and CNRS ERL 7240, Cell and Respiratory Biomechanics, Université Paris Est, Créteil 94010, France e-ail: marcel.filoche@polytechnique.edu.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filoche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013500:Surface Tension