Dynamic instabilities in the inflating lung

Adriano M. Alencar (), Stephen P. Arold, Sergey V. Buldyrev, Arnab Majumdar, Dimitrije Stamenović, H. Eugene Stanley and Béla Suki
Additional contact information
Adriano M. Alencar: Boston University
Stephen P. Arold: Boston University
Sergey V. Buldyrev: Boston University
Arnab Majumdar: Boston University
Dimitrije Stamenović: Boston University
H. Eugene Stanley: Boston University
Béla Suki: Boston University

Nature, 2002, vol. 417, issue 6891, 809-811

Abstract: Abstract In lung diseases such as asthma1, expiratory flow becomes limited2, airways can collapse3 and the vital exchange of gases is compromised. Here we model the inflation of collapsed regions of the lung during inspiration in terms of avalanches propagating through a bifurcating network of airways, and find that the accompanying cascade of dynamic pressure instabilities — avalanche 'shocks' — manifests as negative elastic resistance of the lung. Our analysis of this apparent thermodynamic paradox provides a better understanding of aeration in the deep regions of the lung, which may find application in medical conditions in which gas exchange is impaired.

Date: 2002
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DOI: 10.1038/417809b

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