2009 International Conference on Engineering Computation

Simulation Study on Human Respiratory System Based on Muscle Pressure Driven

He zhonghai
Department of automation, Northeastern univerisity at qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China, 066004

Email: zhhe@mail.neuq.edu.cn

Abstract—In breathing model study, most research focus on
the characteristic of breathing system. Less study concentrate on
the breath power. In order to get the sponeous breath model,
respiratory muscle pressure must be taken into consideration. In
this paper, the respiratory muscle pressure of autonomous
respiration is used as source power and the simplest linear model
is used in the model construction. Simulink is utilized as the
tool, respiratory flow is obtained, which validated the model.
Keywords: medical patient simulation, respiratory model,
Simulink
I. INTRODUCTION
Patient simulators are increasingly used in the
education and training of physicians, nurses, emergency
care personnel and many other healthcare professionals.
Learners can effectively acquire both basic and advanced
clinical skills using patient simulation. It is widely studyed
that physiology-driven simulator. So generating correct
physiology is a key task in design of patient simulator. In
the human physiology factors respirotory is one of the most
important characteristic. Study on the generation of
respiratory have practical significance.
There are many papers[1-5] about respiratory system
model, most of which foucus on strucure of respiratory
system, have no mention on driven part. Ronald[6] study
the origional power of breath. He study on the respiratory
model based on breath muscle pressure. But his model is
not consistent in the model widely used later. One
important factor is less of airway resistance influence in his
work. This paper is aimed at construction of normal human
respiratory system model, combined the widely used
respiratory model and muscle pressure driven power.
II. MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF REAPIRATORY SYSTEM

Pmus PA V V
C d/dt

Fig. 1 Respiratory model based on muscle pressure driven

978-0-7695-3655-2/09 $25.00 © 2009 IEEE 33

DOI 10.1109/ICEC.2009.24
 In order to describe the spontaneous respiratory model the linear model described above, the simplest respiratory
fundamentality in a simple and direct way, the following model we estabilished is shown in figure 1. The merits of
principles are adopted: structure of respiratory system is the model are listed on the following: (1)simple model, most
described by the simplest model, i.e., only lung compliance details are neglected; (2) distinct principle, spontaneous

muscle pressure curve with respiratory time

6
total muscle pressure

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
respiratory
Fig.2 Pressure waveform time
generated by respiratory muscle

(C) and airway resistance (R) are taken into consideration; respiratory can be concluded from the model; (3) extensive
respiratory muscle pressure data from Ronald[6] is used as expansibility, every component can be complicated if
input of model. With the above hypothesis, the needed, so that complexity of model’s study can be selected
constructured model can reflect the basic characteristic in as requirement.
general. The paramters of R and C in model can be selected as

Fig. 3 Spontaneous respiratory model simulated by Simulink

The simplest mathematical model of respiratory system normal human, while the respiratory muscle pressure can be
is linear model[7]: from the data of Ronald. The pressure data can be acquired
1 precisely by image processing, as shown in figure 2. In
Pmus = V (t ) + RV (t ) (1) simulink the muscle pressure used as input, the spontaneous
C respiratory waveform can be getted.
Which Pmus is respiratory pressure ， generated by
III. SIMULATION RESULT
respiratory muscle, C iscompliance，R is airwayresistance,
Typical parameters of human respiratory system is
V(t) is air volume breathed in lung, V (t ) is air flow of used in simulation, parameters being R=0.18kPa.s/L ，
respiratory, being the derivative of volume to time. In the C=1.84L/kPa[8]. Particular simulink model is shown in
model the compressibility of air is neglected as usual. There figure 3, and the simulation result shown in figure 4.
are two basic parameters in describing the respiratory
system: compliance C and airway resistance R. Based on

34

Fig.4 Respiratpry flow waveform by muscle pressure driven using
simulink
Compared with the respiratory flow given in [9], it can
be concluded that the two flow waves are very similar.
Change the parameters of respiratory system, the shape of
flow variate, and so is the frequency spectrum of flow
waveform, which is in accordance with Benchetrit’s
conclusion[10]. Because respiratory pressure waveform is
not single frequency sine wave, change the pressure
waveform will change the frequency spectrum of respiratory
flow wave too, so pressure waveform generated by
respiratory muscle is an influence factor to flow frequency
spectrum.
IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the principle that respiratory muscle generate
breath movement, spontaneous respiratory model is
designed in consideration of respiratory muscle pressure.
Simplest model is adopted to grasp the main influence.
Simulink toolbox in matlab being used, breath waveform
that very similar to real breath waveform is generated. The
35
characteristic of the model is the accordance with human
respiratory principle. It is simple, practical, and expansible
of the model, and can be the research foundamental of
spontaneous respiratory system. It is not confined in the
research of waveform speciality in this paper, however, by
using simple model, the very similar waveform to realistic is
gained. The model is useful for the study of characteristic
of respiratory system’s flow curve.
REFERENCES
[1] A. F. M. Verbraak, J. M. Bogaard, J. E. W. Beneken, E.Hoorn, ,
“Serial lung model for simulation and parameter estimation in body
plethysmography”, Medical & biological engineering & computing,
1991, 29, pp 309-317.
[2] Samir Mesic, Robert Babuska, Henk C. Hoogsteden, and Anton F. M.
Verbraak, “Computer-controlled mechanical simulation of the
artificially ventilated human respiratory system”, IEEE transactions
on biomedical engineering, 2003, 50(6), pp 731-743.
[3] V. V. Meka and J. H. van Oostrom, “Bellows-less lung system for the
human patient simulator”, Medical & biological engineering &
computing, 2004, 42,pp 413-418.
[4] A. F. M. Verbraak, P. R. Rijnbeek, J. E. W. Beneken, J. M. Bogaard,
et al., “A new approach to mechanical simulation of lung behaviour:
pressure-controlled and time-related piston movement”, Medical &
biological engineering & computing, 2000, 38, pp 82-89.
[5] A. F. M. Verbraak, J. E. W. Beneken, J. M. Bogaard, and A.
Versprille, “Computer-controlled mechanical lung model for
application in pulmonary function studies”, Medical & biological
engineering & computing, 1995, 33,pp 776-783.
[6] Ronald W. Jodat, James D. Horgen, and Ramon L. Lange,
“Simulation of respiratory mechanics”, Biophysical journal, 1966, 6,
pp 733-785.
[7] Yu Lianzhi, Yan Guozheng, Huang Biao, Yang Banghua, “The
analysis of airway resistance with online monitoring system”,
Chinese journal of biomedical engineering, 2007, 26(2),pp 317-320.
“in Chinese”
[8] Tang Yuansheng, Zhang Xiuzhen, Han diancun, Parameters and
concept of human medical, Jinan: Jinan publishing house, 1995. “in
Chinese”
[9] Jean-pierre Bachy, Andre Eberhard, Pierre Baconnier and Gila
Benchetrit, “A program for cycle-by-cycle shape analysis of
biological rhythms. Application to respiratory rhythm”, Computer
methods and programs in biomedicine, 1986, 23, pp297-307.
[10] Gila Benchetrit, “Breathing pattern in humans: diversity and
individuality”, Respiration physiology, 2000, 122, pp124-129.G.
Eason, B. Noble, and I. N. Sneddon, “On certain integrals of
Lipschitz-Hankel type involving products of Bessel functions,” Phil.
Trans. Roy. Soc. London, vol. A247, pp. 529–551, April 1955.