A Computer MOdel for Red Blood Cell Chemistry

To advance scientific and medical understanding of blood chemistry, we propose to develop modern medical simulation software that will be of use in predicting outcomes of medical interventions. For example, the chemical reactions between hemoglobin, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and electrolytes that occur in blood are essential to understanding human physiology, but still confuse students at many levels. Yet such reactions are readily amenable to biophysical modeling. "Fluid Mod" is an existing and scientifically mature model that has proven utility in educating students with respect to fluid balance and blood chemistry. While the science represented within Fluid Mod remains quite useful, the interface has fallen somewhat behind the stat eof the art for current commercial software. In Phase I, Critical Concepts will develop a computer model for blood solution chemistry, deriving the initial version by porting existing Fortran code, and producing a polished educational product running under Microsoft Windows. In Phase II, Critical Concepts will develop a more general blood chemistry model that will incorporate the models developed for Fluid Mod as individual cases.