Modeling the Mechanical Behavior of Lung Tissue at the Microlevel

This paper is concerned with the development of a computational model of pulmonary alveoli against the background of ventilator-induced lung injuries. In order to quantify mechanical stimulation of alveolar tissue during artificial respiration, a detailed constitutive model of alveolar septa and an approach to consider interfacial phenomena is needed. For that purpose, a polyconvex hyperelastic material model formerly developed for arteries is adopted for pulmonary alveoli. Information about tissue morphology is inherently integrated into the constitutive model, therefore, establishing a connection between structure and function of the different septal constituents. Structural and interfacial dynamics are directly coupled at the alveolar surface. In order to take into account the complex behavior of surface active agents covering alveoli, a constitutive model considering dynamical changes of surface energy is employed.