Rheological analysis of sputum from patients with chronic bronchial diseases

Bronchial diseases are characterised by the weak efficiency of mucus transport through the lower airways, leading in some cases to the muco-obstruction of bronchi. It has been hypothesised that this loss of clearance results from alterations in the mucus rheology, which are reflected in sputum samples collected from patients, making sputum rheology a possible biophysical marker of these diseases and their evolution. However, previous rheological...