Effect of surfactant in an airway closure model
Francesco Romanò, Metin Muradoğlu, James B. Grotberg
Abstract
A model of the bronchioles lined by the airway surface liquid is employed to investigate the Plateau-Rayleigh instability that can lead to the occlusion of the airways. We demonstrate that increasing the surfactant concentration and their strength, the airway closure gets slowed down and the wall stresses are reduced up to 20%. We further predict the generation at which airway closure will occur in human lungs depending on the liquid lining thickness and the initial surfactant concentration.
Topics & Concepts
Pulmonary surfactantAirwayClosure (psychology)Materials scienceInstabilityMechanicsChemistryMedicineAnesthesiaPhysicsEconomicsMarket economyBiochemistryFluid Dynamics and Heat TransferFluid Dynamics and Turbulent FlowsPlasma and Flow Control in Aerodynamics