Evaluation of cough using digital particle image velocimetry

Cough airflow waveforms were collected from control subjects and those with respiratory disease. A cough "simulator" with an electrically controlled hydraulic actuator was designed to accurately reproduce the waveforms in a laboratory setting. The simulator was filled with "seed" particles, which allowed particle dispersion measurements and air velocity vector estimation. A digital particle image velocimetry system utilized high-speed photography and cross-correlation imaging techniques to estimate velocities and particle movement during the simulated coughs. Preliminary results show characteristic differences between the air velocity profiles produced by the coughs of healthy versus non-healthy subjects.