Abstract
Previous artificial lung surrogates used hydrogels or balloon-like inflatable structures without reproducing the alveolar network or breathing action within the lung. A physiologically accurate, air-filled lung model inspired by soft robotics is presented. The model, soft robotic surrogate lung (SRSL), is composed of clusters of artificial alveoli made of platinum-cured silicone, with internal pathways for air flow. Mechanical tests in conjunction with full-field image and volume correlation techniques characterize the SRSL behavior. SRSLs enable both healthy and pathological lungs to be studied in idealized cases. Although simple in construction, the connected airways demonstrate clearly the importance of an inflatable network for capturing basic lung behavior (compared to more simplified lung surrogates). The SRSL highlights the potentially damaging nature of local defects caused by occlusion or overdistension (present in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The SRSL is developed as a potential upgrade to conventional surrogates used for injury risk predictions in trauma. The deformation of the SRSL is evaluated against blast trauma using a shock tube. The SRSL was compared to other conventional trauma surrogate materials and showed greatest similarity to lung tissue. The SRSL has the potential to complement conventional biomechanical studies and reduce animal use in basic biomechanics studies, where high severity protocols are used.
Highlights
Size, organization, and the multiphase nature make the lung a complex organ
The human lung is composed of millions of alveolar ducts, each of which terminates in the acinus, a grouping of elastic sacs; these elastic sacs, called alveoli, are the basic unit of ventilation
To find the most suitable material that matches the mechanical properties of the alveolar walls, the stress−strain behavior of several silicone variants was tested under tension: Ecoflex 00−10, Ecoflex 00−30, Dragon Skin 30, and Dragon Skin 50. These materials were compared against elastin and collagen, the primary structural elements present in the lung (Figure 4a)
Summary
Organization, and the multiphase nature make the lung a complex organ. The human lung is composed of millions of alveolar ducts, each of which terminates in the acinus, a grouping of elastic sacs; these elastic sacs, called alveoli, are the basic unit of ventilation. Away from pure physiological studies, in the realms of bulk tissue biomechanics and protective armor development against traumatic injury, various materials are being investigated as synthetic lung surrogates These surrogates aim to mimic the basic mechanical properties of lungs in terms of, for example, stiffness and density. While previous models have treated the lung as a piece of porous material, lungs are soft actuators and contain a compliant and complex network of airways, which inflate and deflate through the movement of the diaphragm and thoracic cage. The pathways are created by the holes in the walls visible on the right-hand picture. (b) Three SRSLs containing a different number of AA
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