Journal
RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY & NEUROBIOLOGY
Volume 163, Issue 1-3, Pages 214-221Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2008.05.013
Keywords
Pulmonary airway closure; Liquid lining; Surface tension
Categories
Funding
- Medical Research Council [G0701918] Funding Source: researchfish
- Medical Research Council [G0701918] Funding Source: Medline
- MRC [G0701918] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We describe how surface-tension-driven instabilities of the lung's liquid lining may lead to pulmonary airway closure via the formation of liquid bridges that occlude the airway lumen. Using simple theoretical models, we demonstrate that this process may occur via a purely fluid-mechanical film collapse or through a coupled, fluid-elastic compliant collapse mechanism. Both mechanisms can lead to airway closure in times comparable with the breathing cycle, suggesting that surface tension is the primary mechanical effect responsible for the closure observed in peripheral regions of the human lungs. We conclude by discussing the influence of additional effects not included in the simple models, such as gravity, the presence of pulmonary surfactant, respiratory flow and wall motion, the airways' geometry, and the mechanical structure of the airway walls. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available