The BathRC model: a method to estimate flow restrictor size for dual ventilation of dissimilar patients

Andrew R Plummer; Jonathan l du Bois; Siu Man Lee; Patrick Magee; Jens Roesner; Harinderjit S Gill

Mathematical modelling and simulation of both human respiratory and mechanical ventilation systems is invaluable to help understand novel scenarios such as DPV. Characterising lung mechanical properties using resistance and compliance has become common-place, and estimated values are available from studies such as Arnal et al 2018, although other modelling approaches are possible as reviewed in Carvalho and Zin, 2011 . Mechanical ventilation and other breathing equipment has been modelled and simulated at the University of Bath since the late 1980's. This has included detailed component modelling and validation (Jones, 2002) , and complete system models reported in Wilson et al, 2009 . Models were developed using the in-house software tool, Bathfp, and used to extensively study low flow breathing systems by Magee, 2014 . However, the hypothesis in this paper is that a very simple model is sufficient to predict behaviour adequately, and has the benefit of an analytical solution allowing direct calculation of the flow restrictor resistance required to achieve a specified tidal volume.