Simulated Gas Exchange in the Human Lung and Body

University of Utah

We have implemented a real-time simulator of gas-exchange in the human body and lung. The system realistically mimics respiratory gas uptake and production as a function of pulmonary, cardiovascular, and metabolic parameters. The implementation consists of hardware and software to control the flow of gases entering and leaving a ventilated test lung. Such a device could serve as a benchtop resource for testing newly developed anesthesia, hemodynamic, and patient monitors. Preliminary tests have been performed for validation of a non-invasive cardiac monitor. The results, while promising, expose the need for more sophisticated models of the human respiratory and circulatory physiology.