The Dynamics of Coughing and Forced Expiration,

The study analyzes the factors which make coughing an effective mechanism to expel noxious agents and mucus secreted as a response to these agents out of the airways. The lung being in open connection with the ambient atmosphere is exposed to the threat of damaging agents in the environment. The research is based on studies done on human subjects and on computer simulation, both lines of research progressing simultaneously. Dynamics of coughing, although dependent on a relatively small number of parameters, is complex due to multiple feedback relationships. The quantitative analysis of the importance of the various parameters can only be obtained with the use of modern systems analysis together with human experimentation. Author