A Simulator for Sound Production in Airways

描述（由申请人提供）：气道发声模拟器被提议作为生物医学研究的主要工具。这项工作将把目前在流体力学、声学、呼吸和发声的生物力学方面正在进行的许多零碎的努力联系在一起。气道中的声音产生不仅是理解发声的一个组成部分，而且也是与气道阻塞相关的声音（例如打鼾，小儿大步行走，哮吼，以及流感和普通感冒的几种症状）。在过去，研究人员一直专注于特定的声源和共振器的语音和语音应用，但现在整个气道将是一个连续的系统的潜在声源。具体目标是：1）开发用于软壁管道中的非定常可压缩气流的二维Navier-Stokes解，使得每个气道部分可以潜在地自振荡，产生声音，并且与任何相邻部分在声学和生物力学上相互作用; 2）导出用于软的可塌陷壁的集总元件组织模型和连续体模型之间的数学等效性; 3）结合肌肉激活的声带姿势模型作为主要声源，其材料和几何特性是生物力学地确定的，并且允许该肌肉控制的声源的位置沿着气道沿着变化; 4）开发用于将气道的解剖学和生物力学性质从一般人扩展到各种物种、年龄和性别的基础设施; 5）创建和标准化模拟器模块的有效性、准确性和数值稳定性的测试; 6）设计和实现一个控制决策中心，通过它可以参与各种级别的模块复杂性。我们希望最终的模拟实验将是有用的耳鼻喉科医生（儿科和成人），语音和语音科学家，呼吸生理学家，语音病理学家，语音和语音训练师，动物生物学家在他们的各种气道现象的解释。用户可以根据他们的临床/研究需求选择3个级别的声带模型输入参数：声学、运动学和生理学（肌肉激活）。科学进步将包括气道结构的新数学公式，包括侧支，气道分叉，可折叠壁，以及来自孔口和皮肤表面的辐射。还将有许多空气和组织运动的可视化。同行研究人员将被联系提交自己的模块。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A simulator for sound production in airways is being proposed as a major tool for biomedical research. The work will tie together many fragmentary efforts presently ongoing in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and biomechanics of respiration and phonation. Sound production in airways is an integral part of understanding not only vocalization, but also sounds related to airway obstruction (e.g. snoring, pediatric strider, croup, and several symptoms of influenza and the common cold). In the past, researchers have focused on specific sound sources and resonators for voice and speech application, but now the entire airway will be a continuous system of potential sound sources. Specific aims are: 1) develop a two-dimensional Navier- Stokes solution for non-steady compressible air-flow in soft-walled ducts so that every airway section can potentially self-oscillate, create sound, and interact acoustically and biomechanically with any adjacent section; 2) derive mathematical equivalences between lumped-element tissue models and continuum models for soft, collapsible walls; 3) incorporate a muscle-activated vocal fold posturing model as a primary sound source whose material and geometric properties are determined biomechanically, and allow the location of this muscle-controlled sound source to vary along the airway; 4) develop infrastructure for extending the anatomical and biomechanical properties of the airway from generic human to a variety of species, age, and gender; 5) create and standardize tests for validity, accuracy, and numerical stability of simulator modules; 6) design and implement a control decision center by which various levels of module complexity can be engaged. We expect that eventual experimentation with the simulation will be useful to otolaryngologists (pediatric and adult), voice and speech scientists, respiratory physiologists, speech pathologists, voice and speech trainers, and animal biologists in their interpretations of various airway phenomena. Users, based on their clinical/research needs, could select between 3 levels of input parameters to a vocal fold model: acoustic, kinematic, and physiological (muscle activation). The scientific advances will include new mathematical formulations for an airway structure that includes side branches, airway bifurcations, collapsible walls, and radiation from orifices and skin surfaces. There will also be many visualizations of air and tissue movement. Peer researchers will be contacted to submit their own modules.