A reduced-order electrical model for airflow and gas transport in pulmonary airways -

Abstract

In this thesis, a reduced-order electrical model for the advection-diffusion equation is presented. It is derived from the cable theory with some modifications. The model is used as a part of a bigger lung model to simulate oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations distributions along pulmonary airways down to the alveoli, and it can be extended to model species concentrations in the pulmonary capillaries. The objective of this model is to accurately simulate oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration distributions along airways in time, while at the same time reducing simulation time, and conserving the critical properties necessary for optimizing lung performance, such as maximizing the alveolar surface area and minimizing airways resistance through branching. The lung model is composed of three submodels: (i) mechanics model, (ii) a model for species transport in airways, (iii) and in the alveoli, and it can be coupled to other models such as cardiovascular model.