Bolus technique for assessing distribution of inspired gas during tidal breathing

The washout of an insoluble tracer from the lung may be represented by a model with two ventilatory compartments representing poorly and better-ventilated regions. Using boli of a second insoluble gas delivered at a given point during inspirations of a multibreath washout test, the proportions of labeled inspired ventilation reaching the poorly and well-ventilated regions may be determined by analyzing the kinetics of the exhaled tracer. We studied eight normal subjects breathing through large-bore solenoid valves controlled to maintain tidal volume at 600 or 900 ml. Boli consisting of 15 ml of 80% He-20% O2 were delivered over 75 ms; this labeled approximately 125 ml of inspired gas. Boli were delivered after 50 ml had been inspired to mark early inspiration and after 300 ml had been inspired to mark midinspiration. Using 900-ml tidal breaths, late inspiration was marked by boli delivered at 600 ml. Subjects were studied in the seated and the supine positions. In both positions, significantly more of the early breath went to the poorly ventilated compartment. Several possible physiological mechanisms, singly or in combination, could account for these observations, but differences in dead space path length are most likely involved.