Intraglottal Flow Behavior in a CT-Based Laryngeal Model

A direct numerical simulation of flow-structure interaction was carried out in a subject-specific larynx model to study human phonation under physiological conditions. The effect of the realistic shape of the vocal fold and airway lumen on intraglottal flow dynamics was explored. It was found that the complex shape of the larynx, especially the lateral confinement of the airway lumen in the supraglottal region and the anterior-posterior asymmetry of the laryngeal shape, has a profound effect on intraglottal flow dynamics. Several important new findings that have not been captured in past simplified models were reported.