GRAPHICAL LUNG ANALYSIS AND SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT

The study of transport across the pulmonary vasculature is an importan t aspect of the study of the lung. Models have often been used in conj unction with experimental work to further the information which can be obtained from experimental work alone. GLANSE was developed as an env ironment to carry out such analysis on microcomputers. The main model employed is a three region, homogeneous model which includes provision s for tracer diffusion in the extravascular region, hydrophilic and li pophyilic tracers as well as physiological parameters such as blood fl ow. Several heterogeneous models based on simplified versions of the t hree region model as well as two models which are not related to the t hree region model are also included. Computationally efficient routine s for model simulations are used so as to enable their execution on mi crocomputers with large data sets. In addition, several methods for mo dels analysis, such as parameter sensitivity and curve-fitting, as wel l as statistical analysis of results are also included. GLANSE has bee n tested and has been in use for several years for routine analysis of experimental data.