The Boeing Company

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Oventus Medical Limited

Vu Thua Nguyen

Gary W Coleman

Amy Marie Helvey

Stefan Gulizia

John Edward Barnes

Yuqing Feng

Anthony Miller

Srinivasarao Lathabai

Neil Lawrence Anderson

Ivan Stuart Cole

Christopher Patrick Hart

Darren Fraser

Michael Leigh Slater

Gary Rosengarten

Omid Bafkar

John Barnes

Described herein are systems and methods for the simulation of the upper airway of a subject. One embodiments provides a method () including the initial step () of receiving one or more tomographic images of the subject. At step () a three dimensional geometric model of the upper airway is generated from the one or more tomographic images. The geometric model includes a network of interconnected deformable mesh elements collectively defining a fluid domain () and a solid domain (). The solid domain () defining a single unitary model of the entire upper airway region segmented into a plurality of predefined geometric regions, each being defined by one or more common anatomical parameters. At step (), a computer simulation is performed on the geometric model to simulate behaviour of the upper airway when the subject is positioned in a predefined position. The computer simulation includes () performing a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis on the fluid domain and then () performing a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis between the fluid and solid domains under the influence of an applied gravity effect. Finally, at step (), subject-specific parameters are output which are indicative of the behaviour of the upper airway.

Prediction and intervention of obstructive sleep apnoea

An apparatus is provided for breathing assistance that includes a body for positioning within an oral cavity of a user, the body defining at least one first opening for allowing airflow between lips of the user. Two second openings are provided in the oral cavity to allow air flow into and out of a posterior region of the oral cavity and two channels, each channel connecting a respective second opening to the at least one first opening and each channel passing at least one of at least partially along the buccal cavity and at least partially between the teeth to thereby provide an airway for the user. The airway at least partially bypasses the nasal passage and acts to replicate a healthy nasal passage and pharyngeal space.

Breathing assist device

A method of minimising distortion in a workpiece is described that includes utilizing a computer system to carry out finite element analysis on a finite element thermo-mechanical model of the workpiece during and after fabrication by additive manufacturing to predict shape distortion and residual stress development in the workpiece, wherein the fabrication includes the fabrication step of depositing multiple layers of a material melted by a heat source along a deposit path on a substrate, and introducing alterations to the workpiece prior to or during fabrication to compensate for the predicted distortion.

Distortion prediction and minimisation in additive manufacturing

A method of minimizing distortion in a workpiece is described that includes utilizing a computer system to carry out finite element analysis on a finite element thermo-mechanical model of the workpiece during and after fabrication by additive manufacturing to predict shape distortion and residual stress development in the workpiece, wherein the fabrication includes the fabrication step of depositing multiple layers of a material melted by a heat source along a deposit path on a substrate, and introducing alterations to the workpiece prior to or during fabrication to compensate for the predicted distortion.

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Victoria, Australia

Vu Thua Nguyen