We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Lung Simulations Could Improve Respiratory Treatment

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 02 Aug 2015
An innovative computer model that predicts the flow of liquids in human lungs could provide insight into the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

ARDS is a life-threatening inflammation of the respiratory system that kills 74,000 adults each year in the United States alone. More...
It is most common among patients with lung injury or sepsis, a whole-body inflammation caused by infection. Treatment involves surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) to make it easier for the lungs to inflate, similar to the therapy used in premature babies, who can lack the surfactant necessary to expand their lungs. While SRT has contributed to a dramatic reduction in mortality rates of premature babies, the attempt to implement the technology in adults has been largely unsuccessful.

To try and reveal why, researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M; Ann Arbor, USA) and Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau, France) developed a mathematical computer model that provided a three-dimensional (3D) image of exactly how SRT flowed through the lungs of patients in the three key trials that examined the technology. The first (1997) clinical study in adults showed promise, cutting mortality rate from 40% to 20%. But two larger studies in 2004 and 2011 showed no improvement in mortality, and the treatment was abandoned.

The computer model used fluid mechanical principals for 3-D modeling of the lung airway tree in both neonates and adults, showing how a liquid plug propagates through the tree from forced inspiration. In two separate modeling steps, they saw that the SRT plug deposits a coating film on the airway wall, and then splits unevenly at the bifurcation due to gravity. The model generates 3D images of the resulting acinar distribution and calculates two global indexes, efficiency and homogeneity.

When the researchers applied this engineering perspective to SRT, they saw one detail that set the successful 1997 study apart; a less concentrated version of medication was used. The SRT used in the 1997 study delivered the same dose of medication as the later studies, but it was dissolved in up to four times more liquid. The additional liquid helped the medication reach the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The study was published on July 13, 2015, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

“The medication needs to work its way from the trachea to tiny air sacs deep inside the lungs to be effective. This therapy is relatively straightforward in babies but more complex in adults, mostly because adult lungs are much bigger,” said lead author professor of biomedical engineering James Grotberg, MD, PhD, of the U-M College of Engineering. “The modeling technology could be used in other types of research as well, including more precise targeting of other medications in the lungs and projecting results from animal research to humans.”

Related Links:

University of Michigan
Ecole Polytechnique



Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
New
Radial Artery Compression Device
TR Band
New
Electrically Operated Patient Lifter
SVL 205
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to HospiMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Hospital Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of HospiMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of HospiMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of HospiMedica International in digital format
  • Free HospiMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: For the first time, a fluorescent-guided nerve imaging agent has shown promise for use in humans (Photo courtesy of VUMC)

Fluorescent Imaging Agent ‘Lights Up’ Nerves for Better Visualization During Surgery

Surgical nerve injury is a significant concern in head and neck surgeries, where nerves are at risk of being inadvertently damaged during procedures. Such injuries can lead to complications that may impact... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The revolutionary automatic IV-Line flushing device set for launch in the EU and US in 2026 (Photo courtesy of Droplet IV)

Revolutionary Automatic IV-Line Flushing Device to Enhance Infusion Care

More than 80% of in-hospital patients receive intravenous (IV) therapy. Every dose of IV medicine delivered in a small volume (<250 mL) infusion bag should be followed by subsequent flushing to ensure... Read more

Business

view channel
Image: A research collaboration aims to further advance findings in human genomics research in cardiovascular diseases (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Bayer and Broad Institute Extend Research Collaboration to Develop New Cardiovascular Therapies

A research collaboration will focus on the joint discovery of novel therapeutic approaches based on findings in human genomics research related to cardiovascular diseases. Bayer (Berlin, Germany) and... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.