Digital Twin Modeling of Human Thorax for HFCC Therapy Using COMSOL Multiphysics®

Patients with muco-obstructive airway diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, rely on daily therapies to help clear their airways. High-frequency chest compression (HFCC) devices offer a home-based solution, but variations in operating frequency raise concerns about treatment consistency and effectiveness.

In this webinar, Arife Uzundurukan, a postdoctoral fellow at Polytechnique Montreal, will demonstrate how the COMSOL Multiphysics® software was used to develop a computed tomography-based finite element model (CT-FEM) for predicting thoracic vibratory responses across HFCC operating frequencies (5–100 Hz). The presentation will explore how lung behavior was simulated using Biot’s theory, under both normal and pathological conditions.

A detailed multi-organ thoracic model — including the lungs, ribcage, trachea, and soft tissues — was created as a digital twin using a sequential workflow involving four different software platforms. The HFCC device itself was modeled as an acoustic pressure source.

Results reveal that the frequency response function (FRF) peaks observed in the model align closely with findings from three independent experimental studies. Notably, changes in alveolar radius significantly influence wave velocity and energy density within the lungs, without substantially altering the thorax’s overall FRF.

Attend this live webinar to see how this study advances CT-FEM methodology for multi-organ simulations and deepens our understanding of low-frequency thoracic resonance. You will also get a look at how COMSOL Multiphysics® is vital for biomedical and vibroacoustic modeling of human thorax digital twins.