title: A theoretical study on modeling the respiratory tract with ladder networks by means of intrinsic fractal geometry.
abstract: Fractional order modeling of biological systems has received significant interest in the research community. Since the fractal geometry is characterized by a recurrent structure, the self-similar branching arrangement of the airways makes the respiratory system an ideal candidate for the application of fractional calculus theory. To demonstrate the link between the recurrence of the respiratory tree and the appearance of a fractional-order model, we develop an anatomically consistent representation of the respiratory system. This model is capable of simulating the mechanical properties of the lungs and we compare the model output with in vivo measurements of the respiratory input impedance collected in 20 healthy subjects. This paper provides further proof of the underlying fractal geometry of the human lungs, and the consequent appearance of constant-phase behavior in the total respiratory impedance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Gent 9000, Belgium. clara@autoctrl.UGent.be
authors.forename: Clara Mihaela
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ionescu
authors.forename: Ionut
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muntean
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tenreiro-Machado
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Keyser
authors.forename: Mihail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrudean
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena