A Synthetic Lung for Ventilatory Research

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a deadly disorder that is poorly understood and under researched. Changes in ventilatory parameters have shown promise for improving patient outcomes. Thus, there exists a need for more efficient respiratory research which can be carried out with higher practicality. The present paper introduces a proof of concept for a synthetic ventilatory research lung (phantom lung). Phantoms were designed using iterative methods and connected to a flexiVent mechanical ventila tor. Important ventilatory parameters were compared to established biological rat data to determine phantom performance. One such phantom, constructed of a 3D-printed polylactic acid, is shown to model the pressure volume loop behaviour of a biological in vivo rat lung and match parameters like dynamic compliance with biological significance. This can be used in place of traditional animal models in ventilatory and respiratory research, increasing ease of experimentation in this complex field. As far as is known, the presented phantom is the only ventilatory-based rat substitute which is capable of replicating the investigated behaviours while being made of easily sourced materials.