A Planar Two-Layer Unsteady State Model for Mucociliary Transport

Abstract

In this paper, a planer two – layer unsteady state fluid model is proposed to study the transport of mucus in the respiratory tracts due to cilia beating and air motion by considering mucus as a viscoelastic fluid. The serous layer is considered to be a low viscosity Newtonian fluid. The effect of air motion due to forced expiration and other processes is considered by prescribing shear stress at the mucus-air interface. It is shown that the mucus transport increases as the pressure drop, acceleration due to gravity and shear stress due to airmotion increases. Also, it is shown that mucus transport decreases as its density and elastic modulus increases. It has been also shown that the mucus transport decreases as the viscosity of serous layer fluid or mucus increases.