title: [Air distribution in the bronchial tree of human lungs].
abstract: A three-element model of lumped parameter based on the statistic data of Weible's symmetric model and on the reference anatomic figures of the bronchial tree of the lungs has been proposed using the fluid network theory. It was assumed that the upper five or seven generations of the twenty-four generations of the respiratory airway are asymmetric, while the rest are symmetric. GEAR method was used to solve the ordinary differential equations. The pressure and flow rate distributions in different positions of the lungs during normal respiration and partial bronchial obstruction were compared, respectively. This model has great significance in finding out the air distribution in the human bronchial tree under various physiological and pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Juemin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance; D001980:Bronchi / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012119:Respiration; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology