The cardiopulmonary system is complex and highly regulated with interactions among lung ventilation, gas exchange and pulmonary circulation determining respiratory outcomes. Patients suffering from respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, require a range of pulmonary function tests to understand disease severity, including regular spirometry, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, forced oscillation technique for in depth mechanics etc. In cases of disease exacerbation or respiratory failure, patients may require ventilatory support in the intensive care unit, however, limited measures are currently available at the bedside to speculate on the status of the respiratory system (e.g. lung mechanics measured by ventilator, blood gasses). Novel measurement techniques that are laboratory-based, such as ultrasound for ventilation, electrical impedance tomography and orthogonal polarization microscopy, show promise with respect to clinical practice, despite some failures.
Cardiopulmonary physiology helps us integrate the cellular, multicellular, organ and physiology of the respiratory system. Mechanics of breathing have been investigated over decades, from simulation modelling, to animal experiments and human studies. With novel developments in technologies and measurement modalities, our understanding in respiratory system grows rapidly. But how does this knowledge serve clinical practice? Translations from knowledge of cardiopulmonary physiology to lung function measurement and patient care strategies are essential to clinical practice. Developments of novel technologies and discoveries require interdisciplinary cooperation. Unfortunately, communication among engineers, biologists, scientists and medical practitioners is often missing. For example, electrical impedance tomography provides high temporal resolution of ventilation and perfusion related information. However, with relatively low and distorted spatial information, clinical users are challenged with respect to the understanding and interpretation of the data. Such gaps between fundamental measurements/methods and clinical practice are often seen in the field of biomedical engineering. Another example is that for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation; treatments are tailored for individuals covering ventilator optimization, weaning and rehabilitation. Cooperation between engineers and physicians to develop automatic close-loop ventilators is one of the solutions to the personalized ventilation strategies. In this special issue, we aim to provide a communication platform for interdisciplinary researchers to address the divide that exists between novel technologies and approaches to assess physiologic function and clinical practice. We welcome submissions from clinician scientists as well as investigators from the fields of engineering, computer science, imaging and fundamental physiology.
We welcome Reviews, Original Research and other article types. We expect submissions relating, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Cardiopulmonary physiology in illness and health
- Physiological modeling and simulation
- Novel biomedical sensors, instruments, devices, wearables and systems to understand cardiopulmonary functions
- Measurements in molecular, cellular and organ physiology and electrophysiology
- Point-of-care technologies
- Novel clinical measurements of respiratory system
Topic Editor Zhanqi Zhao received financial support from Dräger Medical and eResearchTechnology. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
The cardiopulmonary system is complex and highly regulated with interactions among lung ventilation, gas exchange and pulmonary circulation determining respiratory outcomes. Patients suffering from respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, require a range of pulmonary function tests to understand disease severity, including regular spirometry, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, forced oscillation technique for in depth mechanics etc. In cases of disease exacerbation or respiratory failure, patients may require ventilatory support in the intensive care unit, however, limited measures are currently available at the bedside to speculate on the status of the respiratory system (e.g. lung mechanics measured by ventilator, blood gasses). Novel measurement techniques that are laboratory-based, such as ultrasound for ventilation, electrical impedance tomography and orthogonal polarization microscopy, show promise with respect to clinical practice, despite some failures.
Cardiopulmonary physiology helps us integrate the cellular, multicellular, organ and physiology of the respiratory system. Mechanics of breathing have been investigated over decades, from simulation modelling, to animal experiments and human studies. With novel developments in technologies and measurement modalities, our understanding in respiratory system grows rapidly. But how does this knowledge serve clinical practice? Translations from knowledge of cardiopulmonary physiology to lung function measurement and patient care strategies are essential to clinical practice. Developments of novel technologies and discoveries require interdisciplinary cooperation. Unfortunately, communication among engineers, biologists, scientists and medical practitioners is often missing. For example, electrical impedance tomography provides high temporal resolution of ventilation and perfusion related information. However, with relatively low and distorted spatial information, clinical users are challenged with respect to the understanding and interpretation of the data. Such gaps between fundamental measurements/methods and clinical practice are often seen in the field of biomedical engineering. Another example is that for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation; treatments are tailored for individuals covering ventilator optimization, weaning and rehabilitation. Cooperation between engineers and physicians to develop automatic close-loop ventilators is one of the solutions to the personalized ventilation strategies. In this special issue, we aim to provide a communication platform for interdisciplinary researchers to address the divide that exists between novel technologies and approaches to assess physiologic function and clinical practice. We welcome submissions from clinician scientists as well as investigators from the fields of engineering, computer science, imaging and fundamental physiology.
We welcome Reviews, Original Research and other article types. We expect submissions relating, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Cardiopulmonary physiology in illness and health
- Physiological modeling and simulation
- Novel biomedical sensors, instruments, devices, wearables and systems to understand cardiopulmonary functions
- Measurements in molecular, cellular and organ physiology and electrophysiology
- Point-of-care technologies
- Novel clinical measurements of respiratory system
Topic Editor Zhanqi Zhao received financial support from Dräger Medical and eResearchTechnology. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
