What is "iron lung"

iron lung \i"ron lung"\, n. A steel chamber, usually cylindrical, enclosing the entire body of a person except for the head, used to assist respiration for people suffering from disease, especially poliomyelitis. A reciprocating piston at the end causes alternating high and low pressure inside, which forces or assists the breathing of the patient within.

n. A pneumonic device for assisted breathing.

n. respirator that produces alternations in air pressure in a chamber surrounding a patient's chest to force air into and out of the lungs thus providing artificial respiration

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 The negative form of pressure ventilation has been almost entirely superseded by positive pressure ventilation or biphasic cuirass ventilation.

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. Live, the band has toured extensively across the U.S., Asia, Australia and Europe. 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.

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

Iron lung may also refer to:

• Iron Lung (band), a punk band from Seattle
• Iron Lung (EP), a 1993 EP by Pram
• My Iron Lung, a song by British Alternative band Radiohead.

Iron Lung is an EP by Pram, released on February 8, 1993 through Too Pure.