Deformation Induced Fluid Flow Behaviour of Subglottic Mucosa

It is well known that both subglottal and supraglottal spaces play an important role during phonation. Supraglottal region being easy to access is studied by many researchers and understood well whereas subglottal space is not well understood due to the difficulty in visualisation. Various studies suggested the importance of subglottic region in phonation. According to Wyke & Kirchner [1], subglottal mucosa contributes to the reflex control of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles during phonation. Sundberg [2] found that mechanoreceptors are present in the subglottal mucosa that plays a role in phonation. Smith [3] identified that resection in this region affects phonation. This suggests that the subglottis is not merely a ‘pipe’ that delivers airflow over the vocal folds, but play a significant role in phonation. This paper deals with a numerical model to gain a better understanding of the way this region functions during phonation. The focus of this study is to examine the biomechanics and deformation of mucosal tissues in this region and its impact on the aerodynamics of the airflow over the vocal folds using simplified subglottal model.