A possible role of the pleura in lung mechanics.

The pressure-volume behavior of excised visceral pleura is studied. The pleura is modeled as a thin incompressible membrane, and the requisite membrane tension is determined from a pseudostrain-energy function. Results are compared to pressure-volume behavior of saline-filled and air-filled parenchyma and to experimental pleural data from the literature. Results suggest that the pleura may play a role as a volume limiter of lung expansion although the need for more detailed analysis is discussed.

[1]  A. Guyton,et al.  Textbook of Medical Physiology , 1961 .

[2]  F. Hoppin,et al.  Comparison of amounts of collagen and elastin in pleura and parenchyma of dog lung. , 1984, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[3]  G. C. Lee.,et al.  Finite element modeling of lungs including interlobar fissures and the heart cavity. , 1983, Journal of biomechanics.

[4]  D. Vawter,et al.  A finite element model for macroscopic deformation of the lung. , 1980, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[5]  D L Vawter.  Stress-free equilibrium volume of the lung. , 1977, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[6]  C. Nagaishi.  Functional anatomy and histology of the lung , 1972 .

[7]  T A Wilson,et al.  A strain energy function for lung parenchyma. , 1985, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[8]  Heinrich v. Hayek,et al.  The human lung , 1960 .

[9]  T A Wilson,et al.  Nonuniform lung deformations. , 1983, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[10]  S. Sorokin,et al.  The Respiratory System , 1983 .

[11]  J D Humphrey,et al.  Pseudoelasticity of excised visceral pleura. , 1987, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[12]  L. Weiss,et al.  Histology : cell and tissue biology , 1983 .

[13]  E. Wheeldon,et al.  The pleura: a combined light microscopic, scanning, and transmission electron microscopic study in the sheep. I. Normal pleura. , 1983, Experimental lung research.

[14]  D. Stamenović,et al.  Mechanical properties of pleural membrane. , 1984, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[15]  K. Albertine,et al.  Structure, blood supply, and lymphatic vessels of the sheep's visceral pleura. , 1982, The American journal of anatomy.

[16]  S. Lai-Fook,et al.  Improved measurements of shear modulus and pleural membrane tension of the lung. , 1979, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.