Validating the inspired sinewave technique to measure the volume of the 'baby lung' in a porcine lung-injury model

Quantifying heterogeneity in an animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a comparison of inspired sinewave technique to computed tomography

The inspired sinewave technique (IST) is a non-invasive method to measure lung heterogeneity indices (including both uneven ventilation and perfusion or heterogeneity), which reveal multiple conditions of the lung and lung injury. To evaluate the reproducibility and predicted clinical outcomes of IST heterogeneity values, a comparison with a quantitative lung computed tomography (CT) scan is performed. Six anaesthetised pigs were studied after surfactant depletion by saline-lavage. Paired measurements of lung heterogeneity were then taken with both the IST and CT. Lung heterogeneity measured by the IST was calculated by (a) the ratio of tracer gas outputs measured at oscillation periods of 180 s and 60 s, and (b) by the standard deviation of the modelled log-normal distribution of ventilations and perfusions in the simulation lung. In the CT images, lungs were manually segmented and divided into different regions according to voxel density. A quantitative CT method to calculate the heterogeneity (the Cressoni method) was applied. The IST and CT show good Pearson correlation coefficients in lung heterogeneity measurements (ventilation: 0.71, and perfusion, 0.60, p < 0.001). Within individual animals, the coefficients of determination average ventilation (R2 = 0.53) and perfusion (R2 = 0.68) heterogeneity. Strong concordance rates of 98% in ventilation and 89% when the heterogeneity changes were reported in pairs measured by CT scanning and IST methods. This quantitative method to identify heterogeneity has the potential to replicate CT lung heterogeneity, and to aid individualised care in ARDS.

Lung simulation to support non-invasive pulmonary blood flow measurement in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in animals. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021;2021:76-79. [PMID: 34891243 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9630893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Patients undergoing mechanical lung ventilation are at risk of lung injury. A noninvasive bedside lung monitor may benefit these patients. The Inspired Sinewave Test (IST) can measure cardio-pulmonary parameters noninvasively. We propose a lung simulation to improve the measurement of pulmonary blood flow using IST. The new method was applied to 12 pigs' data before lung injury (control) and after lung injury (ARDS model). Results using the lung simulation shown improvements in correlation in both simulated data (R² increased from 0.98 to 1) and pigs' data (R² increased from <0.001 to 0.26). Paired blood flow measurements were performed by both the IST (noninvasive) and thermodilution (invasive). In the control group, the bias of the two methods was negligible (0.02L/min), and the limit of agreement was from -1.20 to 1.18 L/min. The bias was -0.68 L/min in the ARDS group and with a broader limit of agreement (-2.49 to 1.13 L/min).Clinical Relevance- the inspired sinewave test can be used to measure cardiac output noninvasively in mechanically ventilated subjects with and without acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Simulation-based optimisation to quantify heterogeneity of specific ventilation and perfusion in the lung by the Inspired Sinewave Test

The degree of specific ventilatory heterogeneity (spatial unevenness of ventilation) of the lung is a useful marker of early structural lung changes which has the potential to detect early-onset disease. The Inspired Sinewave Test (IST) is an established noninvasive 'gas-distribution' type of respiratory test capable of measuring the cardiopulmonary parameters. We developed a simulation-based optimisation for the IST, with a simulation of a realistic heterogeneous lung, namely a lognormal distribution of spatial ventilation and perfusion. We tested this method in datasets from 13 anaesthetised pigs (pre and post-lung injury) and 104 human subjects (32 healthy and 72 COPD subjects). The 72 COPD subjects were classified into four COPD phenotypes based on 'GOLD' classification. This method allowed IST to identify and quantify heterogeneity of both ventilation and perfusion, permitting diagnostic distinction between health and disease states. In healthy volunteers, we show a linear relationship between the ventilatory heterogeneity versus age ([Formula: see text]). In a mechanically ventilated pig, IST ventilatory heterogeneity in noninjured and injured lungs was significantly different (p < 0.0001). Additionally, measured indices could accurately identify patients with COPD (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve is 0.76, p < 0.0001). The IST also could distinguish different phenotypes of COPD with 73% agreement with spirometry.

Bedside monitoring of lung volume available for gas exchange

BACKGROUND

Bedside measurement of lung volume may provide guidance in the personalised setting of respiratory support, especially in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome at risk of ventilator-induced lung injury. We propose here a novel operator-independent technique, enabled by a fibre optic oxygen sensor, to quantify the lung volume available for gas exchange. We hypothesised that the continuous measurement of arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) decline during a breath-holding manoeuvre could be used to estimate lung volume in a single-compartment physiological model of the respiratory system.

METHODS

Thirteen pigs with a saline lavage lung injury model and six control pigs were studied under general anaesthesia during mechanical ventilation. Lung volumes were measured by simultaneous PaO2 rate of decline (VPaO2) and whole-lung computed tomography scan (VCT) during apnoea at different positive end-expiratory and end-inspiratory pressures.

RESULTS

A total of 146 volume measurements was completed (range 134 to 1869 mL). A linear correlation between VCT and VPaO2 was found both in control (slope = 0.9, R2 = 0.88) and in saline-lavaged pigs (slope = 0.64, R2 = 0.70). The bias from Bland-Altman analysis for the agreement between the VCT and VPaO2 was - 84 mL (limits of agreement ± 301 mL) in control and + 2 mL (LoA ± 406 mL) in saline-lavaged pigs. The concordance for changes in lung volume, quantified with polar plot analysis, was - 4º (LoA ± 19°) in control and - 9° (LoA ± 33°) in saline-lavaged pigs.

CONCLUSION

Bedside measurement of PaO2 rate of decline during apnoea is a potential approach for estimation of lung volume changes associated with different levels of airway pressure.

A tidal lung simulation to quantify lung heterogeneity with the Inspired Sinewave Test

We have created a lung simulation to quantify lung heterogeneity from the results of the inspired sinewave test (IST). The IST is a lung function test that is non-invasive, non-ionising and does not require patients' cooperation. A tidal lung simulation is developed to assess this test and also a method is proposed to calculate lung heterogeneity from IST results. A sensitivity analysis based on the Morris method and linear regression were applied to verify and to validate the simulation. Additionally, simulated emphysema and pulmonary embolism conditions were created using the simulation to assess the ability of the IST to identify these conditions. Experimental data from five pigs (pre-injured vs injured) were used for validation. This paper contributes to the development of the IST. Firstly, our sensitivity analysis reveals that the IST is highly accurate with an underestimation of about 5% of the simulated values. Sensitivity analysis suggested that both instability in tidal volume and extreme expiratory flow coefficients during the test cause random errors in the IST results. Secondly, the ratios of IST results obtained at two tracer gas oscillation frequencies can identify lung heterogeneity (ELV₆₀/ELV₁₈₀ and Qp₆₀/Qp₁₈₀). There was dissimilarity between simulated emphysema and pulmonary embolism (p < 0.0001). In the animal model, the control group had ELV₆₀/ELV₁₈₀ = 0.58 compared with 0.39 in injured animals (p < 0.0001).

Lung heterogeneity and deadspace volume in acute respiratory distress syndrome animals using the inspired sinewave test

The acute respiratory distress syndrome is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality, as patients undergoing mechanical ventilation are at risk of ventilator-induced lung injuries.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the lung heterogeneity and deadspace volume to find safer ventilator strategies. Then, the ventilator settings could offer homogeneous ventilation and theoretically equalise and reduce tidal strain/stress in the lung parenchyma.

APPROACH

The Inspired Sinewave Test (IST) is a non-invasive lung measurement tool, which does not require patients' cooperation. The IST can measure the effective lung volume, pulmonary blood flow and deadspace volume. We developed a computational simulation of the cardiopulmonary system to allow lung heterogeneity to be quantified using data solely derived from the IST. Then, the method to quantify lung heterogeneity using two IST tracer gas frequencies (180s and 60s) was introduced and experimented in the simulation lungs and in animal models. Thirteen anaesthetised pigs were studied with the IST, both before and after experimental lung injury (saline-lavage ARDS model). The deadspace volume is compared between IST and the SF_{6} Washout method.

RESULTS

The IST could measure the lung heterogeneity using two frequencies tracer gases. Furthermore, the value of IST ventilation heterogeneity in ARDS lungs were higher than in control lungs at PEEP 10cmH_{2}O (AuC=0.85, p<0.001). Deadspace volume values measured by the IST has a strong relationship with the measured values of the SF_{6} (9mL bias and limits of agreement from -79mL to 57mL in control animals).

SIGNIFICANCE

the potential impact of the IST technique in the identification of ventilation and perfusion heterogeneity during ventilator support.