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A Microfluidic Model of Biomimetically Breathing Pulmonary Acinar Airways
Published on: May 9, 2016
Liquid plug propagation in flexible microchannels: A small airway model
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA.
Physics of Fluids (Woodbury, N.Y. : 1994)
|August 26, 2009
Summary
Flexible airway walls deform under liquid plug flow, increasing stress with speed. This research on small airway models suggests potential cell injury in conditions like emphysema due to higher stress gradients in flexible airways.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Small airways are crucial for lung function.
- Airway flexibility can influence airflow dynamics and mechanical stress.
- Understanding these mechanics is vital for respiratory disease research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of wall flexibility on liquid plug propagation.
- To analyze the resulting wall stresses in flexible small airway models.
- To compare flexible and rigid airway responses to plug flow.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of flexible microchannels using soft lithography to mimic small airways.
- Experimental generation and propagation of liquid plugs through microchannels.
- Numerical simulations to model plug propagation in flexible channels.
Main Results:
- Wall deformation and pressure drop increase with plug speed.
- Flexible channels exhibit slightly lower pressure drops than rigid channels.
- Higher wall longitudinal tension leads to less deformation and lower stress gradients.
Conclusions:
- Flexible airway walls deform significantly, with deformation and pressure drop escalating with plug speed.
- Highly deformable airways (low longitudinal tension) experience larger wall stress gradients.
- Increased stress gradients in flexible airways, like those in emphysema, may cause lining cell injury.
