Bond Graph Modeling of Lungs

Amer Sohail Kashif Muhammad Wasim

Adeela Arshad
Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering
Department of Electrical engineering
National University of Sciences and University of Engineering and
National University Of Sciences and
Technology Technology
Technology
Islamabad,Pakistan Taxila,Pakitsan
Islamabad,Pakistan
amersohail786@gmail.com muhammad077wasim@gmail.com
arshadadeela@gmail.com
Syed M.Tahir Zaidi
Naveed Mazhar
Department of Electrical engineering
Department of Electrical engineering
National University Of Sciences and
National University Of Sciences and
Technology
Technology
Islamabad,Pakistan
Islamabad,Pakistan
tahirzaidi@ceme.nust.edu.pk
naveed.mazhar@ceme.nust.edu.pk

Abstract— In this modern era research in mechanical
ventilator model designing has increased a lot. Mathematical
model of lungs is used to distinguish the pulmonary diseases. In
this work bond graph model of breathing mechanism i.e.
inspiration and expiration of lungs is developed. Hydraulic
analogies are allocated to lungs using cylinders and
accumulators. From nostrils to trachea single cylinder is
considered having resistance and compliance effect associated
with it. Trachea to lower lung section comprised of 23
generations of airways. In this study, 2 generations are
considered with resistance, compliance and inertial effect,
whereas resistance and compliance effect, of 3rd to 17th
generations are lumped. These generations are modelled with
cylinders with decreasing sizes. 17 to 23 are modelled as
accumulators with resistance and compliance. Model
parameters were estimated using grey box estimation.20 sim is
used to make the bond graph model and determine the
relationship of pressure and volume curves. Model can be used
for screening of lungs diseases. Model can be used for clinical
trials with any existing mechanical ventilator.
.
Keywords—bond graph, compliance, PV curves, mechanical
ventilator, grey box
I. INTRODUCTION
Due to rapid growth in design techniques, we are able to
embed model based MV treatment in MV. In model based
treatment, model of lung is used to determine state of lung
and determine the optimal MV settings to aid clinician to
detect lung diseases. In Model based MV treatment,
accurately modeling complex lung dynamics is most
important factor. Model should be capable of capturing all
lung dynamics as simple as possible for easy evaluation
model should have parameters that can be easily
determined.
Expiration flow limitation in mechanical ventilator
treatment has been studied by modelling lung with
considering dynamic effects. Lung has been divided in
conductive and respiratory zone. Analogy with electrical
components like resister, inductor and capacitor has been
made. For modelling resistor effect nonlinear Rohrer resistor
has been considered. Inertial effect has been modelled with
air density, length and diameter of airway. Respiratory zone
modelling is done with resistor and compliance effects. The
model well explained the expiratory flow limitations
observed at high pressure.[1] For simulating nonlinear
model the effect of delays and filtering are studied by
Jandre.et al [2]. Nonlinear PV relation was considered for
ventilator modelling. Ventilator is considered as flow source
during inspiration and an effort source during expiration.
Single compartment model of lung has been used for
artificially ventilating human lung [3]. Equation for elastic
compliance of lung and chest wall has been used for
determining optimal parameters for ventilator. A computer
controlled active mechatronic system was introduced for
mechanical simulation of lung. Venegas, José G.et al
introduced a comprehensive equation for determining
Pressure-Volume relationship[4]. They used the sigmoid
equation for pressure volume relation which mainly depends
on four parameters that are easily determined.
A theoretical model for lung capturing mechanism of
recruitment and de recruitment of alveoli has been proposed
in [5]. They used the concept that alveoli opens after
reaching critical pressure, called recruitment of alveoli.
While de recruitment is a mechanism of closing of alveoli
below critical pressure. Model is useful for studying the
transient behavior of lung dynamics. Bond graph technique
is comprehensive and easy to model any physical and
biological system. It incorporates the power interaction
between physical systems. Modelling of biological system
using bond graphs started when D. L. Margolis first
modeled acoustic behavior of lung using bond graph [6].
Human esophagus is modelled using bond graph in order to
analyze the interface in fullness of individual by reducing
the mechanical esophageal flow [7]. In this work analogies
has been made with mechanical translational objects like
springs and dampers.
In this proposed work focus has been made on
modelling inspiration and expiration mechanism of lung
using bond graph. First mechanism of breathing has been
studied in detail and main organs involved in breathing has
been determined. The study is encapsulated in form of flow
charts. Flow charts summarize the flow of air from nostrils
to the end of lung. It separates and point out the conductive
and respiratory zones and tells about generation involved in
these zones. Then Lung modelling using bond graphs with
detailed analogy with hydraulic system has been made. The
extensive study of bond graph has been made using Dean C.
Karnopp’s book Modeling, Simulation, and Control of
Mechatronic Systems [8].
This paper is organized as, Section II elaborates human
respiratory mechanism. Section III gives a brief summary of
bond graph. Section IV tells about proposed methodology.

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Section V is devoted for results. Section VI concludes the
paper

II. MECHANISM OF BREATHING IN HUMANS

Human beings have a dedicated organ for respiration
called lungs. Right lung has three lobes and left lung has
two lobes. Left lung is smaller than right lung because it can
leave space for heart. In lung the exchange of gases takes
place in small air sacs called alveoli. There are
approximately 300 million alveoli in an adult [9]. Air from
external environment passes from nostrils, nose, pharynx,
larynx and through trachea to right and left bronchus. After
bronchus to bronchioles, terminal bronchioles respiratory
bronchioles and through alveolar ducts to Alveoli. From
nostrils to respiratory bronchioles and alveoli no exchange
of gases takes place. These are called airways actually these
are tubes trough which air passes between alveoli and
external environment. Exchange of gases take place in a
respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and alveoli. The
passage of air from nostrils to alveoli is summarized in the
following flow chart in Fig. 1
III. METHODOLOGY

A. Modelling of Conducting Zone

1) From nostrils to trachea: Single cylinder is
considered for the path from nostrils to trachea. Resistance
element can be associated with cylinder representing
restriction experience by air flow. Inertial element can be
associated with cylinder representing mass of cylinder and
mass of fluid contained in trachea. As from nostrils to start
of trachea airway path is supported by bones and trachea is
supported by cartilage so no compliance effect is associated
by cylinder. The Fig. 2 shows the bond graph representation
2) From end of trachea to end of conducting zone: As Fig. 1. Air flow through lungs
conductive zone does not contain alveoli and alveolar ducts,
so conductive zone is modelled as series of cylinders with
decreasing size. As in this study simple case is considered
so we are taking regular dichotomy (symmetric branching)
in which each branch divides into two further branches as in
conductive zone lung contain 17 generations so 217 =
131072 branches exists in lung 65536 branches are in left
lobe and 65536 branches are in right lobe. In proposed work
65536 branches are modelled as 65536 cylinders with
decreasing sizes
a) Assumptions: As 65536 is a very large number
which can result in large number of differential equations
and model will become too complex to be used for
computations. Sizes of first three generations are significant
and rest of branches are of small sizes so their cumulative
effect is considered. Cumulative effect of branches 4 to 17 is
taken into 4t branch then proposed hydraulic analogy will
look like in the Fig. 3.
Fig. 2. a) Rrepresenting lung components b) Cylinder representing
airway c) bond graph representation

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 Fig. 3. a) representing lung components

Fig. 4. a) lung components in respiratory zone b) air bladder

representing alveolar ducts and alveoli c) bond graph representation

Fig. 3. b) bond graph representation

B. Modelling of respiratory zone

Respiratory zone contain about 30 million alveoli.
Alveoli are actually occupying balloon like structure. They
pop up open when air is pushed into them with certain
pressure. They contain storage characteristics and have
smooth elastic structure so they can be associated with air
bladder analogy in hydraulics. All alveoli and alveolar ducts
are modelled with air bladder. One for left respiratory zone
andone for right respiratory zone. In bond graph left and
right air bladder can be approximated with C element as
shown in the Fig. 4

C. Bond graph representation of proposed model

Complete bond graph representation for human lung is Fig. 5. bond graph representation of model including inertia
drawn on 20-sim software package. Bond graph is given in
the Fig. 5. The 5th order state space model was obtained
through calculations and unknown parameters i.e.
compliance and inertia are estimated through grey-box
modeling technique in MATLAB and model approximation The A matrix mathematically calculated is
is done. Model is tested with ALI/ARDS patients data set.
10 patients were included in trial with 12 sets of data [11].

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The estimated matrix after grey-box estimation is
IV. RESULTS
Proposed model is tested with different patients data set.
maximum fit to estimation data was 97% as shown in Fig.6
Curve of normal patient showed the same behavior like the
inspiration-expiration curve of lungs. Difference in curve is
due to continuously changing lungs dynamics. Curve of
patients with ARDS/ALI have changing compliance values
fit to estimation data curve shows -4% result shown in
Fig.7. This model is well estimated for screening of lungs
diseases and can be used for clinical trials.
Fig. 5. Normal patient data curve
Fig. 5. Patient with ARDS
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V. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
Bond graph modeling of lungs was successfully
accomplished using in vivo data set from 12 patients.
Maximum fit of 97% was achieved for a healthy subject
with the help of developed model. However, same model
when applied on data set of a patient suffering from ARDS
exhibited -4% fit to estimated data. The developed model
promises successful screening of lung diseases and can be
extended up to 4th generation for optimization, accuracy and
improved performance.
VI. REFERENCES
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normal lung for studying expiratory flow limitation in mechanical
ventilation.," Annuals of biomedical Engineering, pp. 33(4):518-30,
2005 april.
[2] C. A. P. A. G.-N. A. Jandre FC1, "Effects of filtering and delays on
the estimates of a nonlinear respiratory mechanics model.,"
Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, pp. 148(3):309-14., 2005
oct 12.
[3] B. R. H. H. V. A. Mesić S1, "Computer-controlled mechanical
simulation of the artificially ventilated human respiratory system,"
IEEE transactions on biomedical engineering, pp. 731-43, 2003.
[4] H. R. S. B. Venegas JG1, "A comprehensive equation for the
pulmonary pressure-volume curve.," Journal of applied physiology,
pp. 84(1):389-95, 1998.
[5] I. C. Bates JH1, "Time dependence of recruitment and derecruitment
in the lung: a theoretical model.," Journal of applied physiology, pp.
93(2):705-13, 2002 aug.
[6] D. L. M. a. M. Tabrizi, "Acoustic Modeling of Lung Dynamics Using
Bond Graphs," Journal of Biomechanical Engineering , pp. 84-91,
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[7] S. d. S. R. F. Rosa* and M. L. Altoé, "Bond Graph modeling of the
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[8] D. L. M. R. C. R. Dean C. Karnopp, System Dynamics: Modeling,
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[10] H. R. A. M. a. M. B. S. Mohseni, ""Seizure detection in EEG signals:
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