The quantitative effect of an accessory ostium on ventilation of the maxillary sinus

Abstract

The airflow and gas exchange behaviors of the human maxillary sinus were quantified to better understand the effect of an accessory ostium (AO). An anatomically correct numerical domain was constructed using CT data from a male patient with mild nasal obstruction. For the purpose of comparison, a numerical model without an AO was also generated by artificially removing the AO from the original model using CAD software. A steady-flow field through the nasal cavity was simulated using ANSYS-FLUENT v13.0 with a target flow rate of 250 ml/s. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method was used to investigate the concentration field of nitric oxide (NO) initially filled in the maxillary sinus. The simulation results showed that a transit flow through the maxillary sinus developed in the presence of an AO. As the flow entered the sinus through either a natural or accessory ostium from the middle meatus, the velocity was significantly reduced to a local maximum of approximately 0.034 m/s inside the sinus. This by-pass flow rate through the sinus of 2.186×10(-1) to 3.591×10(-1) ml/s was a small fraction of the total flow rate inhaled from the nostril, but it effectively changed the local flow topology and led to a larger reduction in NO concentration in the maxillary sinus. This more rapid reduction in NO concentration was due to enhanced ventilation activity afforded by convective transport of the transit stream through the flow path connecting the natural ostium and the AO. The inspiration and expiration phases were qualitatively similar in flow pattern except for the flow direction in the maxillary sinus, suggesting that the AO plays a similar physiological role during both inspiration and expiration in terms of ventilation.