A micro-scale humanized ventilator-on-a-chip to examine the injurious effects of mechanical ventilation
Basia Gabela-Zuniga, Vasudha Shukla, Christopher Bobba, Natalia Higuita‐Castro, Heather M. Powell, Joshua A. Englert, Samir N. Ghadiali
Abstract
barotrauma) does not significantly alter barrier integrity while over-distention (20% cyclic radial strain, volutrauma) results in decreased barrier integrity that quickly recovers upon removal of mechanical stress. Conversely, surface tension forces generated during airway reopening (atelectrauma), result in a rapid loss of barrier integrity with a delayed recovery relative to volutrauma. Simultaneous application of cyclic stretching (volutrauma) and airway reopening (atelectrauma), indicates that the surface tension forces associated with reopening fluid-occluded lung regions are the primary driver of barrier disruption. Thus, our novel VOC system can monitor the effects of different types of injurious forces on barrier disruption and recovery in real-time and can be used to interogate the biomechanical mechanisms of VILI.