Analog Computer Simulation of Maximum Expiratory Flow Limitation

This paper extends previous modeling work in our laboratory on the simulation of the panting maneuver executed in a body plethysmograph [8] to the simulation of a wider range of pulmonary function tests and, in particular, the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve. The simulation is implemented on an analog computer for ease of parameter manipulation; the effects of changes in several model parameters (such as large and small airway resistance, and airway and lung compliance) on the MEFV curve are discussed. The model structure presented here is much simpler than the ventilatory system models of Fry [6] and Pardaens et al. [18], and yet yields the same information in a diagnostic sense.