Respiratory Tract (Lung and Bronchial) Diseases

Symptoms and General Pathology

All Conditions

Neoplasms

Musculoskeletal Diseases

Diseases and Abnormalities at or Before Birth

Infections

Digestive System Diseases

Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Rare Diseases

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Lung Neoplasms

Funnel Chest

Lung Diseases

Empyema

Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis

Empyema, Pleural

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, Malignant

Pectus Carinatum

Respiratory Tract Diseases

Pancreatic Diseases

Gastrointestinal Diseases

Genetic Diseases, Inborn

Infant, Newborn, Diseases

Adenoma

Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial

Neoplasms by Histologic Type

Neoplasms, Mesothelial

Respiratory Tract Neoplasms

Thoracic Neoplasms

Chronic Disease

Disease Attributes

Lung Diseases, Obstructive

Bone Diseases

Bone Diseases, Developmental

Congenital Abnormalities

Musculoskeletal Abnormalities

Suppuration

Communicable Diseases

Inflammation

Cartilage Diseases

Connective Tissue Diseases

Respiratory Tract Infections

Pleural Diseases

Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease

Malignant Mesothelioma

Patients with pectus excavatum (funnel chest) condition undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients with pectus carinatum (pigeon chest) condition undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients affected by COPD undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients with abnormal function or structure of the diaphragm. Including diaphragmatic hernia/rupture and diaphragmatic paralysis undergo chest wall motion analysis

People who do not have any diagnosed thoracic condition and who do not have symptoms/signs suggestive of undiagnosed thoracic disease undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients with suspected or confirmed lung malignancy of all histological subtypes undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients with pleural thickening and/or pleural effusion, pneumothorax, empyema undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients diagnosed with asthma clinically or upon spirometry undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis clinically or biochemically undergo chest wall motion analysis

Patients with an abnormality in the chest wall including fractures, osteomyelitis, malignancy of all histological subtypes, chest wall resection/reconstruction undergo chest wall motion analysis

Assessment of chest wall motion using novel technologies including: optoelectronic plethysmography (OEP), structured light plethysmography (SLP), Microsoft Kinnect

Chest wall motion analysis

Babu Naidu, MBBS

Breathing movements, called chest wall motion, are very complex. The investigators are studying how movement of the abdomen, ribs and diaphragm contribute to breathing and how this differs with different diseases in the chest. Breathing movements may help with diagnosis, assessment of severity or assessing the impact of treatments for chest conditions. The investigators are following people who have a chest disease, measuring their chest wall motion and comparing it to their diagnosis and and how their treatment works.

Chest wall motion can be measured in different ways at rest and whilst exercising. Small stickers on the chest can be used to reflect infra red light or visible squares of light can be shone onto the chest without using stickers.

Optoelectronic plethysmography (OEP) is based on the analysis during breathing of the trajectories of a series of markers positioned on the thoracic-abdominal surface of the patient. The positions in space of these markers are recorded and processed with mathematical models and algorithms by a computing unit that can accurately measure not only volume variations of the whole thoracic-abdominal wall, but also the variations of the various compartments. This detects, for example, asymmetries in the action of respiratory muscles. The system can accurately measure current volume, vital capacity, respiratory frequency, duration of the phases of inspiration and exhalation, the average inspiration and exhalation flux and the volume variations at the end of exhalation.

Structured Light Plethysmography (SLP) also assesses regional chest wall excursion but does not require markers to be placed on the patient. The system uses visible light shone onto the chest wall in a checkerboard pattern and reflected back by the patient's skin or a tight T shirt.

Images from 4 Microsoft Kinnect Motion Cameras can be used to create a 3D representation of the patient's torso. This system has been shown to correlate well with chest wall measurements recorded by OEP.

These systems are innovative examination instruments, non-invasive, accurate, easy to use and unlike traditional plethysmographic technologies, are not affected by humidity and temperature variations and can easily be used to perform measurements for extended periods of time. They accurately measure the dynamics of the volume variations that occur during breathing in the various sections of the thoracic-abdominal walls (upper, lower and abdominal thoracic area). This data, which is otherwise undetectable, is a useful contribution to the evaluation of patients. We will apply chest wall motion analysis to understanding the physiology of thoracic disease processes as well as assessing potential diagnostic and prognostic (response to treatment) markers that could be used in future clinical practice.

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