Parameter estimation in respiratory physiology and anesthesia

System identification as applied to selected areas of respiratory physiology and anesthesiology is described. Studies in gas exchange and in the control of breathing are reported. Reasons for the success of system identification techniques in these areas are that (1) many measurements are inferential, rather than direct, (2) the processes are time-varying and basically linear, (3) there is much experimental data, and (4) important problems can be attacked.