1 Development of a realistic human airway model Frantisek Lizal 1 , Jakub Elcner 1 , Philip K. Hopke 2 , Jan Jedelsky 1 , Miroslav Jicha 1 1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic 2 Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, USA Abstract Different models of human lungs with various extent of idealization have been used in prior studies. Consequently results acquired using these models are difficult to compare to in vivo measurements. We have developed a set of model components based on realistic geometries, which permits the analysis of the effects of subsequent model simplification. A realistic, digital, upper airway geometry was created without an oral cavity. This geometry was suitable for both numerical CFD simulations and for the fabrication of physical models. Then an oral cavity was added to the tracheobronchial geometry. The airway geometry including the oral cavity was adjusted to enable fabrication of a semi-realistic model. Five physical models were created based on these three digital geometries. Two optically transparent models with and without the oral cavity were constructed for flow velocity measurements, two realistic segmented models with and without the oral cavity were constructed for particle deposition measurements, and a semi-realistic model with glass cylindrical airways was developed for optical measurements of flow velocity and in situ particle size. One dimensional Phase Doppler Anemometry measurements were made and compared to computational fluid dynamics calculations for this model and good agreement was obtained. Keywords: Human airway model, tracheo-bronchial tree, particle transport, particle deposition, oral cavity 1 Corresponding author: Frantisek Lizal, Department of Thermodynamics and Environmental Engineering, Technicka 2, Brno 61669, Czech Republic. Email: lizal@fme.vutbr.cz