A numerical model of oxygen uptake in the human lung during a respiratory cycle

A dynamic model of oxygen uptake in the human lung is constructed by using unsteady mass balance equations in the gas phase and the blood phase. The model takes into account ventilation, perfusion, and oxygen transport from the alveolar gas to the capillary blood. Because of the non-linearity of the governing equations, a finite difference scheme is used for the calculations. Various effects of parameters characterizing breathing pattern, pulmonary capillary blood flow, and diffusion capacity of the alveolar-capillary membrane on the oxygen uptake are studied. © 1974.