The varying distribution in respiratory droplet size for the purposes of diagnostics in medicine

by Andriy Glushakov

Submitted : Spring 2016

In this study, Gauss distribution was used to quantify the salivary droplets present in an exhaled breath and their possible interactions with quantitative analyses of the exhaled breath condensate for clinical diagnostic applications. Distribution models were not previously used to assess the distribution of droplet size derived from different parts of airways, therefore they do not account for the distinction between droplets from the lungs to those of the upperparts of the respiratory system, which are significantly larger. As these particles mix, the distribution and frequency of size becomes irregular and there is a need to distinguish between the droplet origins. By comparing the multiple Gauss peaks found in a normal model representation of the data, a more accurate assessment of the droplet origins can be interpreted and their contents analyzed more precisely.

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