Artificial breathing model to mimic and show breathing action of the human lung

To fully understand and treat respiratory diseases, it is important to determine the flow pattern of air and particulates through the alveoli. In Biomicrofluidics,, scientists from the Harbin Institute of Technology in China created a model alveolar system that mimics the breathing action of the human lung and allows visualization of flow patterns within the alveoli.

Alveoli are the basic functional units of the human respiratory system, acting as tiny air sacs that exchange gases.

The investigators designed a chip that includes tubes arranged like the structure of a bifurcation point in the bronchial network.

To mimic respiration, the scientists devised a system in which gas was pressurized in a sinusoidal fashion and pumped around the flexible tubes. This creates a breathlike cycle of inhalation and exhalation. To study flow patterns in the system, the group added small red polystyrene spheres to the fluid flowing through tubes. These spheres allowed them to photograph movement of the fluid as it was pushed through the tubes by the artificial breathing apparatus.

Subsequent branches in the bronchial network are known as generations, and the team found different flow patterns for different generations. In the human lung, alveoli appear at the 15th generation and remain present for generations up to 23. The researchers found a change in flow pattern between the 19th-20th and the 21st-22nd generations.

Ref:

Yonggang Zhu et al,Microflows in two-generation alveolar cells at an acinar bifurcation, Biomicrofluidics, DOI: 10.1063/5.0098302