At the bottom of our chest is a small but powerful muscular structure called the diaphragm. When this contracts, it pushes down, creating a vacuum in our chest. Like a sponge, our lungs expand to draw in fresh, vital air. When the diaphragm relaxes, air is forced out, allowing our lungs to continually renew themselves.
Those suffering from severe chronic respiratory diseases, ALS or injuries to the diaphragm, have difficulty breathing on their own: a condition that can be a contributing cause of more serious problems and even death. MIT researchers have created a sophisticated miniaturized robotic fan implantable, which can act as a "diaphragm assistant". It consists of two tubes that are soft like balloons: using an external pump to inflate the tubes, they act like artificial muscles that push the diaphragm down, helping the lungs expand. The system can be calibrated to match the natural rhythm of the diaphragm, providing vital breathing support.
A breath of fresh air
<strong>The Eurobursar</strong> Ellen Roche, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a fellow at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at MIT, is leading this project to demonstrate the feasibility of this totally new breathing aid system.
"We are experimenting with a new way of supplying oxygen to our body, based on the biomechanics of human respiration," explains Roche in an interview to the MIT journal. “While traditional ventilators push air into the lungs through masks or tracheostomies, this technology can support breathing more naturally, from within. We are not yet able to implant this device in humans. Some facts they have to be miniaturized and a correct process has to be identified for its installation. But it is exciting to see that a new way of assisting breathing is possible".
The "implantable" diaphragm assistant: the tests
Currently, Roche and his team have tested the system on anesthetized pigs by implanting the device, monitoring oxygen levels, and using ultrasound to observe the movement of the diaphragm. The result was surprising: the ventilator significantly increased the amount of air the pigs' lungs could draw in with each breath, especially when the diaphragm and artificial muscles worked in sync. This allowed the pigs' lungs to breathe three times as much air without assistance. The key to achieving these results is the device's ability to give an extra downward push to the diaphragm when it contracts naturally, without having to exactly mimic its movement.
The team hopes that this innovation will solve the challenges faced by those suffering from chronic diaphragm disorders in the near future. Disorders often caused by neuromuscular diseases such as ALS, muscular dystrophy or phrenic nerve damage. Roche and colleagues hope this solution will provide a way out for those who have struggled with these harsh conditions for too long. And we hope so too.
