Toward improved methods of high frequency ventilation: a study of gas transport mechanisms

Prior studies of gas transport mechanisms are reviewed with the aim of using these results to suggest improvements over current methods of ventilation. These concepts are cast in a simpler framework that more clearly identifies those factors that limit the rate of gas transport under conditions typical of HFV. One simplification introduced simulates the enhancement of molecular diffusion due to the movement of gas back-and-forth through regions of varying cross-sectional area. The region of the lung that currently poses the greatest resistance to gas transport is represented by those airways having diameters in the range of 1.0 to 2.5 mm. This suggests that new efforts should be devoted to better understanding the nature of transport in this zone and to the development of variations in the method of ventilation that have the greatest influence there.