[Monte-Carlo-Model for the aerosol bolus dispersion in the human lung--part 1: theoretical model description and application].
Aerosol bolus dispersion, which has excited enormous interest in lung medicine due to its possible use as an efficient toolfor the non-invasive clinical diagnosis of lung function, was simulated by a Monte Carlo model based on the concept of effective diffusivities and a stochastic lung geometry. The mathematical approach enabled the computation of essential characteristics of the exhaled bolus (half width, standard deviation, skewness, and mode shift) as well as the estimation of their dependence upon the volumetric lung depth (VLD) of the inhaled bolus. Results of the dispersion model generally show a very good correspondence with preliminary published experimental data. Half width and standard deviation of the exhaled bolus increase with VLD according to specific functions, whereas skewness and mode shift are subject to a decrease. While no correlation between bolus dispersion and flow rate could be worked out with the model, dispersion linearly increased with total lung capacity (TLC).
Fachbereich für Molekulare Biologie, Abteilung für Physik und Biophysik, Universität Salzburg, Osterreich. Robert.Sturm@sbg.ac.at
Robert
R
Sturm
Elzbieta
E
Pawłak
Werner
W
Hofmann
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols; D001980:Bronchi / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D013269:Stochastic Processes
D000336:Aerosols