REDUCED MODEL FOR FORCED EXPIRATION AND ANALYSIS OF ITS SENSITIVITY

Pathological changes in the lung modify the shape of the flow-volume curve registered during forced expiration. Computational models allowing simulation of the test results are too complex for the estimation of their parameters. In this study a complex model was reduced by introduction of the functions scaling airway properties. Influence of the individual parameters of the reduced model on the flow-volume curve was evaluated by means of the sensitivity analysis. The conclusion is that the parameters of the scaling functions and elastic properties of lung tissue affect the measured data most significantly and that the descending part of the curve should be used to assess them.