Advances in pulmonary measurements and parameter identification

Although significant advances have been made in understanding the causes of lung disease, existing methods for assessing the effects of treatment are imprecise and inconclusive. The authors describe ongoing work at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to improve the status of pulmonary function testing, to make it more meaningful, less costly, and easier to implement. Topics covered include: a new method to assess the condition of the lungs, elimination of the esophageal balloon, parameter identification, and a dynamic two-compartment model of the lungs