Anatomical and Physiological Simulation for Respiratory Mechanics

Injuries in trauma affect anatomical structures, indirectly affecting physiological systems through mechanical behavior and physical proximity. This paper describes the theory and preliminary results from our approach to couple a 3D anatomical model of the chest with a physiological model of respiratory mechanics. In particular, we investigated behavior in quiet, normal breathing and an open sucking chest wound. We envision that our integrated simulation of respiratory anatomy and respiratory mechanics could assist students in visualizing and predicting relationships between structural-anatomical and functional-physiological changes in an interactive, 3D environment. 1 Introduction Trauma often involves direct anatomical injuries to the body that may cause indirect injuries from pathophysiological behavior of systems affected, particularly mechanical behavior. For example, a pneumothorax is a generic term for injuries that result in gas entering the intrapleural space, the space betwe..