Infiltrationsmönstret

Infiltrationsmönstret is a Swedish term that describes the characteristic spatial distribution of an infiltrating substance as it enters a material, layer, or tissue. The concept is used across disciplines to distinguish whether infiltration progresses evenly or along channels, pores, or pathways. The pattern depends on the properties of the infiltrant and the host medium, including texture, structure, moisture, and gravity.

In pathology and medical diagnostics, the infiltration pattern refers to how cells invade surrounding tissue. Tumor infiltration can appear as a diffuse, irregular front with individual cells penetrating the stroma (infiltrative pattern) or as a more cohesive, pushing margin (expansile or noninfiltrative pattern). The pattern has diagnostic and prognostic significance and can influence treatment decisions. Perineural and lymphovascular invasion are additional pattern-related features.

In soil science and hydrology, infiltration patterns describe how water enters the ground after rainfall or irrigation. Infiltration can be uniform, common in fine-textured soils, or preferential, forming finger-like channels along macropores, cracks, or biopores. The pattern affects infiltration rate, runoff, recharge, and pollutant transport and can evolve with moisture and time, leading to complex, multi-pattern infiltration in heterogeneous soils.

Measurement and modeling of infiltration patterns use field and laboratory tests, such as infiltrometers, to estimate patterns and rates. Theoretical approaches range from empirical descriptions to physically based models like Green–Ampt and Richards equations, which can describe both uniform and preferential patterns under various boundary conditions.

See also: infiltration, infiltration rate, infiltration testing, tumor invasion, fingered flow.