Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Evaluation of Respiratory System Mechanics in Mice using the Forced Oscillation Technique
Published on: May 15, 2013
A note on the stability characteristics of the respiratory events
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Puducherry, Karaikal, 609609, India.
Abstract:
The present outbreak enables the researchers from fluid mechanics to widen the understanding of expelling respiratory liquids from a unique perspective to diminish the persistence of COVID-19. This article focuses on uncovering the instability mechanism responsible for forming droplets and aerosols during respiratory events such as breathing, talking, coughing and sneezing. We illustrate a mathematical framework by revisiting the model (Vadivukkarasan and Panchagnula, 2017) and show the associated instabilities during respiratory events. We envisage the combined Rayleigh-Taylor-Kelvin-Helmholtz (R-T-K-H) model as a robust tool for respiratory events. This study highlights the distinct possibility of respiratory droplet formation over multiple instabilities and provides a fundamental understanding. We present the different dominant modes through a ternary phase diagram for three-dimensional numbers (Bond number and Weber numbers). Furthermore, this model can be extended phenomenologically to viscous fluids to satisfy mucus and saliva in the respiratory liquids.
Related Concept Videos
Alterations in Respiration II
In Biot's breathing, the respiratory rate and depth are irregular, alternating between periods of deep gasping and apnea. Common causes...
Respiratory Volumes and Capacities I
Assessment of Ventilation II: Respiratory Depth and Rhythm
Respiratory depth measures the volume of air inhaled or exhaled during a breath. It can vary from shallow to deep and typically remains consistent when a person is at rest or asleep. Occasionally, individuals will automatically inhale deeply, known as sighing, which inflates the lungs with more air than normal breathing.
To assess respiratory depth, observe the degree of chest excursion or movement:
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract II: Inspection
Chest Configuration
The chest configuration...
Stability
The stability of an LTI system is determined by the roots of its characteristic equation, known as poles. A system is stable if it produces a bounded...
Respiratory Volumes
Tidal Volume (TV) Tidal volume (TV) is the air inhaled or exhaled in a...

