Computational model of trachea-alveoli gas movement during spontaneous breathing

Jiménez-Posada, L D; Maya, Juan C; Sánchez-Ocampo, M; López-Isaza, S; Cortes-Ospina, S; Montagut-Ferizzola, Y J; Torres, R

A computational model of the transport of gases involved in spontaneous breathing, from the trachea inlet to the alveoli was developed for healthy patients. Convective and diffusive transport mechanisms were considered simultaneously, using a diffusion coefficient (D) that has considered the four main species of gases present in the exchange carried out by the human lung, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). A Matlab® script was programmed to simulate the trachea-alveolus gas exchange model under three respiratory frequencies: 12, 24 and 40 breaths per minute (BPM), each with three diaphragmatic movements of 2 cm, 4 cm, and 6 cm. During the simulations, the CO2 inlet concentrations in the alveoli and the O2 concentration at the inlet of the trachea were kept constant. A simplified but stable model of mass transport between the trachea and alveoli was obtained, allowing the concentrations to be determined dynamically at the selected test points in the airway.