Simulating Airway Collapse in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Fluid-Structure Interaction Methodologies

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disease among adults and children (Macey, Woo, Kumar, Cross, & Harper, 2010). Patients with OSA have recurrent episodes of airflow limitation during sleep, which lead to daytime sleepiness and several comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases (Durán, Esnaola, Rubio, & Iztueta, 2001). During the episode of OSA, the airway is partially occluded (hypopnoeas) or totally blocked (apneas). Since the velopharynx is the narrowest segment of the pharyngeal airway, the local air velocity increases significantly leading to the large decrease in the intraluminal pressure. The relationship between the distribution of the minimum pressure and the anatomical geometry of the airway is thus very important. Hence, understanding the mechanical interaction between the soft palate and air flow is important in investigating OSA pathology.