H. Gregersen1, G.S. Kassab2, Y.C. Fung2
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 191-200, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.191
Abstract During the last decades, it has become increasingly common to make balloons distension in visceral organs in vivo. In particular this is true for studies of gastrointestinal motor function and biomechanics. Balloon distension is often used for assessment of small intestinal compliance and tension based on Laplace's law for cylindrical pressure pipes. This commonly used law is valid only when the balloon-distended intestine is cylindrical. Experimentally, it is seen that the diameter of the balloon-distended intestine is not a constant, but variable in the axial direction. Hence, it is necessary to improve Laplace's law for intestinal… More >
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