**Author details**

134 Practical Applications in Biomedical Engineering

exception of the aRIC Ce and eRIC I.

for clinical applications than the aRIC model.

and reliable indices of small airway function in children.

Heights.

based on IOS data.

larger sample of children.

years in other asthmatic children of the same age range.

SAD and Asthmatic groups were comparable to those values he has observed over many

Comparing all the IOS parameters for Pre- and Post-B data and the eRIC and aRIC Model Parameters in the Normal group, no significant differences were observed. Also comparing Pre- and Post-B parameters for the PSAI group only R3, R5 and the eRIC Rc showed significant differences. Similarly evaluating Pre- and Post-B values for the SAI group, the following parameters showed significant differences: R3, R5, X3, X5, X10, X15, R3-R20, R5- R20, AX, the aRIC Rp, eRIC Rp, eRIC I and eRIC Cp. Finally evaluating Pre- and Post-B values for the Asthmatic group all of the parameters showed significant differences with the

The selected IOS and model derived parameters (R3, R5, R3-R20, R5-R20, X3, X5, AX, Fres, the eRIC Cp, eRIC Rp, aRIC Cp and aRIC Rp) showed a good correlation with children

In this research study focusing on children with and without SAI (Healthy), the eRIC Model Parameters showed to be consistent and to some extent more closely correlated with IOS measures compared to the aRIC model parameters. As eRIC is more intuitive, less complex and a more parsimonious model (75), it may be considered a more suitable diagnostic tool

IOS lung function data are similarly well-modeled by the eRIC (without upper airway shunt compliance) and aRIC models (with upper airway shunt compliance), which are reduced versions of the popular Mead's model developed at Harvard several decades ago, based on the close correlations of their corresponding parameters excluding Ce. The eRIC model is a more parsimonious and equally powerful model in capturing the differences between SAI and H children, therefore it is recommended as a clinically-preferred model of lung function

In summary, we conclude that the IOS parameters AX and the eRIC model-derived parameter Cp are the most reliable parameters to track small airway function in children before and after bronchodilation. AX (the "Goldman Triangle"), representing the integrated low frequency respiratory reactance magnitude between 5 Hz and Fres, and the eRIC Cp corresponding to the peripheral (small airway) compliance demonstrated superior diagnostic discrimination compared to all other parameters analyzed and emerged as useful

Further work in a larger number of H and SAI children is required to establish normal values for these sensitive indices and enable researchers in this field to perform more effective and timely evaluation, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of different respiratory diseases. Also future work should be performed in order to collect data from a larger sample of children and perform a statistical analysis in order to evaluate IOS parameters and both models (eRIC and aRIC) performances to evaluate these changes in lung function. A definitive choice between the eRIC and aRIC models will require further assessments in a Erika G. Meraz *Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Mexico University of Texas at El Paso, USA* 

Lidia Rascón Madrigal and Nelly Gordillo Castillo *Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Mexico* 

Homer Nazeran, Carlos Ramos and Liza Rodriguez *University of Texas at El Paso, USA* 
