Iron lung

A negative pressure ventilator, often referred to colloquially as an iron lung, is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability. Examples of the device include both the Drinker respirator and the Both respirator. The negative form of pressure ventilation has been almost entirely superseded by positive pressure ventilation or biphasic cuirass ventilation.

Method and use

Humans, like most animals, breathe by negative pressure breathing: the rib cage expands and the diaphragm contracts, expanding the chest cavity. This causes the pressure in the chest cavity to decrease, and the lungs expand to fill the space. This, in turn, causes the pressure of the air inside the lungs to decrease (it becomes negative, relative to the atmosphere), and air flows into the lungs from the atmosphere: inhalation. When the diaphragm relaxes, the reverse happens and the person exhales. If a person loses part or all of the ability to control the muscles involved, breathing becomes difficult or impossible.

Iron lung (disambiguation)

Iron lung is the colloquial name for a negative pressure ventilator.

Iron lung may also refer to:

Iron Lung (band)

Iron Lung are a two piece powerviolence act from Seattle, Washington heavily influenced by hardcore punk and grindcore. The band formed in 1999 in Reno and is currently in Seattle after spending some time in Oakland. They have released music on several labels including Prank Records, 625 Thrashcore, and their own label, Iron Lung Records. In recent years the band has collaborated with other members of the hardcore punk and powerviolence scene, including Hatred Surge and Dave Bailey, formerly of Running for Cover. In 2009, an album titled Public Humiliation was released; a three-way collaboration between Iron Lung and Kortland and Ward's side projects, Pig Heart Transplant and Walls respectively. The recording is of a one-off live performance from Halloween of 2008. Jon Kortland is also half of the art project Feeding, which has made artwork for several Iron Lung, Walls and PHT releases, as well as album covers for several other bands.

Discography

Splits