Model studies real-time lung damage

patient lying on Hospital bed with ventilator mask

Researchers from The Ohio State University have developed a novel tool to measure and compare injuries caused by mechanical ventilation. The ventilator-on-a-chip can identify cell damage that occurs when the lungs undergo stress from the collapse and reopening of the air sacs. 

Joshua Englert, MD, and Samir Gladioli, PhDJoshua Englert, MD, and Samir Gladioli, PhDThe Ohio State University“This is an important advance in the field that will hopefully allow for a better understanding of how lung injury develops in mechanically ventilated patients and identification of therapeutic targets so that we can give drugs to prevent that kind of injury or treat it when it happens,” said co-lead author Joshua Englert, MD, in a university news article. Dr. Englert is associate professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

During the study, which was published in the journal Lab on a Chip, the miniature model evaluated human-derived cells in real time to assess damage and simulate repair and recovery.

“The initial damage is purely physical, but the processes after that are biological in nature — and what we’re doing with this device is coupling the two,” said co-lead author Samir Ghadiali, PhD, university professor and chair of biomedical engineering.

Every day, ventilators save the lives of patients who have severe respiratory problems due to disease or trauma. However, the treatment is known to be taxing and traumatizing on the lungs, especially with long-term use. Any damage at the cellular level can create fluid buildup that impedes oxygen reaching the lungs.

According to the research team, certain events can impact the barrier and cause it to be leaky or weak. The device will measure several types of mechanical stress:

  • Repeated collapse and refilling of air sacs
  • Lung cell stretch caused by overinflation
  • Increased pressure

Next steps include further testing of the model as well as building on its platform to analyze additional complex injuries in ICU patients.

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