Fluid-Structure Interaction Model of Active Eustachian Tube Function in Healthy Adult Patients

F. Sheer[1], and S. Ghadiali [1,2]
[1]Mechanical Engineering Department, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
[2]Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Published in 2008

The Eustachian Tube (ET) is a collapsible tube that connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx. Dysfunction in the ET leads to a disease called Otitis Media. Our goal is to develop and use fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models of ET opening phenomena to better understand what factors contribute to ET dysfunction in certain patients.

We model the ET in COMSOL using geometric data obtained from histological specimens. We have created a FSI model of a healthy ET which successfully simulated the large tissue deformations that occur during ET opening.

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