Effectiveness of two-dimensional medical image interpolation in the transverse plane in the voxel analysis of nasal air flow and temperature

Nasal air flow and temperature were analyzed using a voxel model constructed directly from medical images. The nasal cavities ofa healthy male were reconstructed using CT slices in the axial direction at an image resolution of0.488 mm_pixel and a slice interval of0.40 mm. The rough surfaces in the image, which were caused by the resolution, were smoothed using a bilinear interpolation algorithm. A voxel-based simulation of inspiratory flow was then performed with a voxel pitch of 0.20 mm. With an interpolation image resolution of 0.163 mm_pixel, the voxel model successfully simulated an overall pressure drop and airflow temperature to the same extent as the conventional boundary-fitted model.