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Mechanical Engineering MS Thesis Defense by Mr. Cory Hoi

When: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: > See description for location
Description: Mechanical Engineering MS Thesis Defense by Mr. Cory Hoi

DATE:
May 26, 2021

TIME:
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ZOOM LOCATION:
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/94137625522? pwd=eW5Jb0pGb0g0U2s2REVsUGl6SXNXZz09

TOPIC:
Using computational simulations to develop a fundamental understanding of the governing fluid dynamics of surfactant replacement therapy in treating preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome

ABSTRACT:
The aim of this research is to improve the effectiveness of surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) in treating preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) through computational simulations. RDS is caused by a pulmonary surfactant deficiency within the lung, a surface-active molecule necessary for normal breathing operation. Infants born prior to this stage of development (37 weeks) are susceptible to breathing difficulties, and atelectasis, which unfortunately, is the leading cause of mortality in preterm infants. The most common treatment procedure SRT, seeks to replace the missing surfactant in the infant's lung, with the ultimate goal of achieving uniform film distribution and reaching the alveoli at the terminating branches of the airway. Although, relatively effective, SRT has a 35% non-response rate. The low response rate is attributed to the complexity of the human lung, spanning 15 continuously-branching airway tubes which successively become narrower, shorter and more numerous. With the delivery mechanism of surfactant relying on the fluid dynamics in each airway, the consistently changing geometry of the lung makes it extremely difficult for medical practitioners to effectively deliver surfactant plugs uniformly through the airway tree. We seek to better understand the fluid dynamics of surfactant plug transport which contribute to the non-uniform film distribution in the lung. The key principles include: the effect of gravity on plug transport in straight tubes and the relationship between Capillary number and gravity on plug splitting in bifurcating airway models of two- and three-generations. Furthermore, a novel method of surfactant delivery is proposed to overcome the effects which lead to asymmetric film distribution in the airway. The method, muilti-plug aliquot delivery shows improvement in the overall homogeneity of surfactant delivered into the lung, when compared to the traditional method of single dose instillations

ADVISOR:
Dr. Mehdi Raessi, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, UMassD

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
-Dr. Sankha Bhowmick, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UMassD
-Dr. Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, UMassD

Open to the public.

All MNE students are encouraged to attend.

For more information, please contact Dr. Mehdi Raessi (mraessi@umassd.edu).


Thank you,

Sue Cunha, Administrative Assistant
Mechanical Engineering Department
scunha@umassd.edu
508-999-8492
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