Investigation of the Effects of Emphysema and Influenza on Alveolar Sacs Closure through CFD Simulation

Emphysema and influenza directly affect alveolar sacs and cause problems in lung performance during the breathing cycle. In this study, the effects of Emphysema and Influenza on alveolar sac’s air flow characteristics are investigated through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Both normal and Emphysemic alveolar sac models with varying collapsed volumes resulting from influenza virus replication were developed. Maximum, area average pressure, and wall shear stress (WSS) in collapsed and open alveolar sacs models were compared. It was found that a collapse at half of the volume at the bottom of the alveolar sacs’ models would cause a decrease in average and maximum pressure values and yield higher WSS values for fluid flow during the breathing cycle. On the other hand, a quarter volume collapse at the bottom and side of the model resulted in higher values for average and maximum pressure and WSS. Additionally, results also showed that a combination of alveolar sacs closure and Emphysema would generally lead to an increase in fluid pressure and average WSS during breathing. Maximum WSS was observed during exhalation and maximum WSS decrease occurred during inhalation. Findings are in good agreement with previous studies and suggest that emphysema and influenza virus affect fluid flow and may contribute to alveolar sac closure. However, more realistic simulations should include the fluid-solid interaction studies.