ABSTRACT
[ABSTRACT]OBJECTIVETo study the deposition of suspended particles in the respiratory tract during human breathing.METHODSBased on CT data, three dimensional finite element model of an anatomically accurate respiratory tract, including the nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea and parts of tracheobronchial tree, is established. Numerical analysis for the deposition of suspended particles in the respiratory tract was conducted. RESULTSThe velocity and pressure distributions of airflow in the respiratory tract were obtained, as well as the particles path and their deposition law.CONCLUSION Respiratory tract plays an important role in filtering suspended particles in the air during breathing. The main deposition sites of the particles were at the front of the inferior turbinate and the posterior pharyngeal wall.