Break
AIChE Annual Meeting
2019
2019 AIChE Annual Meeting
Topical Conference: Next-Gen Manufacturing
Big Data and Applications in Advanced Modeling and Manufacturing
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 - 12:35pm to 12:53pm
Fluid mechanics is an essential part in numerous aspects of the composition and pathology of the human eye. In particular, glaucoma, a condition caused by an increased amount of intraocular pressure, is heavily dependent on the proper flow and drainage of aqueous humor in the eye. Currently, the most popular approach to impeding the disease is through numerous types of surgeries, such as laser or incisional surgery, which reduces intraocular pressure by creating a pathway to the Schlemmâs Canal. However, minimal research has been done to improve the drugs administered to glaucoma patients nor the proficiency of the drugs being delivered to the trabecular meshwork, for example. A fundamental analysis has the potential to aid in a better comprehension of the velocity and concentration profile in the human eye to improve in the administering of drugs and validate the effectiveness of surgery on patients without damaging other functional aspects in the eye.
In this contribution, the focus is on the analysis of the mathematical models used to solve fundamental differential equations describing the velocity and concentration profile in the human eye. The Navier-Stokes equation is solved using a creeping flow assumption to obtain velocity profiles within the trabecular meshwork. The resulting velocity has been coupled with the corresponding molar species continuity equation to obtain drug concentration profiles in the same local area. A summary of these findings will be provided with significant insight on improved drug treatment and the effectiveness of surgery to glaucoma patients.