The Pathophysiological Effects of Fluid-Structure Interaction of Species Transported and Transformed from Ambience to Human Respiratory System

The Pathophysiological Effects of Fluid -Structure Interaction of Species Transported and Transformed from Ambience to Human Respiratory System

Unyime Effiong and Dr. Kazeem Olanrewaju Chemical Engineering Department, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, 77446

Abstract

The human physiological system consists of several organs that are structured to relate chemically and physically with complex fluids which aid to carry different nutrients and species necessary for the proper functioning of the system. The quality of the ambient atmosphere and its physiological end effect plays a great role in determining the stability of the human system. With the increased interest in correlating ambient fluid quality with human pathophysiological conditions, it has become increasingly important to understand the mechanism of species transport and transformation in the respiratory tract, the major gateway to human complex systems. Thus, this project is aimed at studying the pathophysiological impact of ambient species on the human respiratory system through detailed analysis of the flow process of species and its mechanism of interaction as they are transported from the bulk ambient fluid to the respiratory organs. A detailed qualitative study will be conducted to gather data on the composition of the ambient fluids at different geographical locations and the data will be coupled into a modeling platform. The goal of this work is to develop a prognosticative and diagnostic modeling platform that can successfully analyze and predict the effect of certain ambient fluid exposure on the respiratory system while offering suggestions on a range of preventive and therapeutic measures to correct these physiological anomalies.

Introduction

Figure 1: Human Respiratory System from Respiratory System: Image Details.” NCI Visuals Online, 2001. The human respiratory system is comprised of various organs, bones and muscles which aid the transport and exchange of species into and out of the body to assist metabolic activities. The primary organ of this system is the lungs; however, other organs play important roles such as the trachea, bronchus and alveoli.

Transportation Mechanisms within the Human Respiratory System

• Diffusion and convection are the means of species transport within the human respiratory system • Diffusion involves random motion of molecules that arise from molecular collision triggered by transfer of thermal energy. • In convection, there is transport resulting from the bulk motion of fluids.

Transformation of Species Transported within the Human Respiratory System

Figure 2: Diffusion of species to and from the alveolus from Pokhrel , Pratiksha. “Mechanism of Respiration in Human.” Microbiology Notes, 23 Sept. 2016. • For oxygen molecules, the transformation taking place is a reversible interaction of oxygen with hemoglobin to form oxyhemoglobin: Hb + nO 2 ⇌ HbO 2n • For the carbon dioxide molecules, the chemical reaction taking place is within the red blood cell and is represented as:

CO 2 + H 2 O ⇌ H 2 CO 3 ⇌ H + + HCO 3 -

Hypothesis

The major cause of most pathophysiological condition in the human respiratory system is due to improper transportation and transformation of species in the system. Results (Work in Progress)

The human respiratory system has been modeled using the SimpleWare software and this will be coupled with the COMSOL Multiphysics platform to simulate the flow of species through the respiratory tract. SimpleWare was used to create a 3D model of the respiratory tract using data collected through MRI imaging of the human system.

SIMPLEWARE MODELING PLATFORM (FREE TRIAL VERSION) : DESIGNATED TO PROCESSING AND CONVERTING 3D IMAGE OF HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM TO MODEL OBJECT FOR SIMULATION IN COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS

COMSOL MULTI-PHYSICS PLATFORM: A SIMULATION DESGNIATED FOR THE SIMULATION OF THE EFFECT OF TRANSPORT AND TRANSFORMATION OF SPECIES IN THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Methods

IMAGE TO MODEL OBJECT: Due to the complex structure of human respiratory system and complications attributable to generating Convoluted images of the human physiological structures in general, images of human respiratory organs will be imported, visualized, processed and converted to simulation ready model object within the SimpleWare modeling platform. Two routes are considered for image generation: 1. Human respiratory Image data from CT-Scan, MRI scanned images and saves as digital image communication in medicine (DICOM). This image will be afterward imported into SimpleWare modeling environment for further conversion into high quality model object fitted for simulation. 2. Image obtain as JPEG from licensed image data bank which is converted and save as DICOM image file. It is subsequently imported into SimpleWare for analysis as in (1) MODEL OBJECT IMPORTATION INTO COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS

Human respiratory model object is imported into COMSOL Multi-physics simulation environment to study effect of species (oxygen and carbon dioxide) transport and transformation on the physiological operation

Conclusion

The task accomplish so far is still a work in progress .We were highly constraint by a universal factor beyond our control.

FUTURE DIRECTION: • To investigate effect of Pressure drop, the major driving force for air conduction, on the physiological operation of the respiratory system • To study the transport of species by diffusion and its impact on the physiological system if it is altered • To evaluate transformation of oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the capillaries and cross the alveoli membrane • To investigate Effect of abnormal diffusion on the perfusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide respectively in the in the capillary

Acknowledgments

R&I’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and Chemical Engineering Department LSAMP,, Prairie View A&M University

References

1. “Function and Structure of the Respiratory System.” Pulmonary

Physiology, by Michael G. Levitzky, 8th ed., McGraw-Hill Education. 2. Sharma, Kal Renganathan. Transport Phenomena in Biomedical

Engineering Artificial Organ Design and Development and Tissue

Engineering. McGraw-Hill, 2011. 3. “Transport of Oxygen in the Blood.” Chemistry for Biologists: Transport of Oxygen in the Blood, www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/cfb/transport.htm. 4. Truskey, George A., et al. Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems.

Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 5. Zimmermann, Kim Ann. “Respiratory System: Our Avenue for Gas

Exchange.” LiveScience, Purch, Aug. 2019, www.livescience.com/22616-respiratory-system.html.

THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION OF SPECIES TRANSPORTED AND TRANSFORMED FROM AMBIENCE TO HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Unyime Effiong and Kazeem Olanrewaju | Affiliation(s): Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering

Introduction

The human physiological consists of several biological units carefully organized to interact with complex fluids necessary for the suitable functioning of the human system. The quality of the ambient atmosphere and how human beings interact with it play an important role in enabling the proper functioning of the human system. With the increased interest in correlating ambient fluid quality with human pathophysiological conditions, it has become increasingly important to understand the mechanism of species transport and transformation in the respiratory tract, the major gateway to human complex systems. Thus, this project is aimed at studying the pathophysiological impact of ambient species on the human respiratory system through a detailed analysis of the flow process of species and its mechanism of interaction as they are transported from the bulk ambient fluid to the respiratory organs. The goal of this work is to develop a prognosticative and diagnostic modeling platform that can successfully analyze and predict the effect of certain ambient fluid exposure on the respiratory system while offering suggestions on a range of preventive and therapeutic measures to correct these physiological anomalies.

Hypothesis:

Exposure to species present in the ambient surrounding affects the human respiratory system depending on the concentration of the species in question and how much it deviates from the stipulated minimum exposure level for that specie.

Materials and Methods

Image to model object: Due to the complex structure of the human respiratory system and complications attributable to generating convoluted images of the human physiological structures in general, images of human digestive organs will be imported, visualized, processed and converted to simulation ready model object within the SimpleWare modeling platform.

Two routes are considered for image generation: 1. 1) Human immune Image data from CT-Scan, MRI scanned images, and saves as digital image communication in medicine (DICOM). This image will be afterward 2. imported into a SimpleWare modeling environment for further conversion into a high-quality model object fitted for simulation. Image obtain as JPEG from the licensed image data bank, which is converted and save as a DICOM image file. It is subsequently imported into SimpleWare for analysis as in (1).

Model Object Importation into Comsol Multi-Physics The human digestive model object is imported into COMSOL Multi-physics simulation environment to study the pathophysiological effect of fluid-structure interaction of transported and transformed species in this system.

Preliminary Results and Discussion (Work in Progress)

The review aspect of this work is almost completed and set to advance into the next stage of the study, which is to model the human respiratory system and perform a necessary simulation to accomplish the objective of the project. Two computational platforms, which are simpleware and comsol multiphysics, will be adopted respectively to convert image (human respiratory organs) to model and simulate the model geometry to study the flow of species and their interaction with the respiratory organs. The figure below depicts the simpleware simulation environment with an imported image of the lungs. The task accomplishes so far is still a work in progress. We were highly constraint by a universal factor beyond our control. The future direction is to 1) simulate the effect of pressure drop, a major driving force for air conduction, on the physiological operation of the respiratory system, 2) study and model the transport of species by diffusion and its impact on the physiological system if altered, 3) numerically evaluate the transformation of oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the capillaries and cross the alveoli membrane, 4).simulate effect of abnormal diffusion on the perfusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide respectively in the capillary.

Summary

A detailed qualitative study was conducted to gather data on the composition of the ambient species at different geographical locations. A review of the pathophysiological effect of species transported and transformed from ambiance through the respiratory tract is almost completed. Comsol multiphysics simulation environment has been set up for the respiratory system. The next level is to convert the respiratory organ harness from scan data or licensed image databank to model object in simpleware simulation environment and import it to comsol multiphysics platform where the physics describing the mechanisms of interest will be carefully investigated.

References

[1] “Function and Structure of the Respiratory System.” Pulmonary Physiology, by Michael G. Levitzky, 8th ed., McGrawHill Education. [2] Sharma, Kal Renganathan. Transport Phenomena in Biomedical Engineering Artificial Organ Design and Development and Tissue Engineering. McGraw-Hill, 2011. [3] “Transport of Oxygen in the Blood.” Chemistry for Biologists: Transport of Oxygen in the Blood, www.rsc.org/Education/ Teachers/Resources/cfb/transport.htm. [4] Truskey, George A., et al. Transport Phenomena In Biological Systems. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. [5] Zimmermann, Kim Ann. “Respiratory System: Our Avenue for Gas Exchange.” LiveScience, Purch, Aug. 2019, www. livescience.com/22616-respiratory-system.html.

Unyime Effiong is a senior, majoring in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Bioengineering. Dr. Kazeem Olanrewaju Professor with research interests in Fluid-Structure interaction in Human Systems, Biorenewable, and Supercritical Fluid Reaction, Energy and Environmental Systems Sustainability.