A new active model lung.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Respiratory Physiology
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Mechanical ventilators are crucial for respiratory support.
• Accurate simulation of spontaneous breathing is essential for research and training.
• Existing models may lack versatility or physiological fidelity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a new lung model capable of simulating spontaneous breathing.
• To evaluate the model's reliability and resemblance to human ventilatory physiology.
• To demonstrate its utility with different respiratory assist techniques.

Main Methods:

• A modified commercial mechanical ventilator (Kontron ABT 4100) was used.
• The ventilator was connected in parallel to a compliant system (acrylic box with latex membrane).
• The model's volume (2500 ml) and compliance (50 ml cmH2O-1) were characterized.

Main Results:

• The model simulates physiologic inspiratory flow (10-30 min-1, up to 1000 ml tidal volume).
• It offers a variable inspiratory to expiratory time ratio (1:4 to 4:1).
• Testing with continuous positive airway pressure showed reliability and versatility.

Conclusions:

• The described lung model reliably simulates spontaneous breathing.
• It offers a versatile platform for testing respiratory assist techniques.
• The model demonstrates satisfactory resemblance to human ventilatory physiology.