Physical lung model to simulate organ function in health and disease

A method of simulating physical lung function, comprising:

• filling an adjustable volume air chamber with a first gas via a first air conduit and a second air conduit arranged in parallel;
• injecting a second gas into the adjustable volume air chamber via a gas exchange element connected to the expandable and contractible air chamber;
• and
• expelling the first and second gases out of the adjustable volume air chamber via the first and second air conduits in parallel, wherein the first air conduit has a first volume and said second air conduit has a second volume, the first volume being different than the second volume to simulate dead space volume, merging the gases emanating from the gas chamber via the first and second air conduits in a common air tube and expelling the first and second gases via a first opening of the common air tube and further expelling the first and second gases via a second opening of the common air tube.

A method of simulating physical lung function, comprising:

• filling a first adjustable volume air chamber with a first gas via a first air conduit and filling a second adjustable volume air chamber with the first gas via a second air conduit;
• injecting a second gas into the first air chamber via a first gas exchange element connected to the first air chamber;
• and
• expelling the first and second gases out of the first and second air chambers via the first and second air conduits in parallel, wherein the first air conduit has a first conduit volume and the second air conduit has a second conduit volume, the first conduit volume being different than the second conduit volume to simulate dead space volume, merging the first and second gases emanating from the first and second air conduits in a common air tube and expelling the gases via one opening at an end of the common air tube.

A physical lung simulator apparatus, comprising:

• a first adjustable volume air chamber for receiving an exchangeable gas and a second adjustable volume air chamber for receiving the exchangeable gas;
• a first air conduit and a second air conduit, the first air conduit emanating from the first adjustable volume air chamber, the second air conduit emanating from the second adjustable volume air chamber and the first and second air conduits connected in parallel to a first end of a common air tube having a single opening at a second end, the first air conduit having a first volume and the second air conduit having a second volume different than the first volume to simulate dead space volume;
• and
• a first gas exchange element connected to the first adjustable volume air chamber for injecting a tracer gas into the first adjustable volume air chamber.