Convective-dispersive characteristics of tracer transport calculated from transfer function analysis of biological indicator-dilution curves.

A solution to the convection-dispersion model of tracer transport in biological systems is presented. This solution provides for the characterization of tracer transport through a network of blood vessels based on the tracer transients recorded at the inlet and outlet points of the circulation under investigation. Fourier transformations of the transients are used to produce a transfer function from which the mean transit time as well as other transport characteristics can be calculated. The practical aspects of applying transfer function analysis to retrieve transport characteristics under experimental conditions are also presented. The application demonstrates the efficacy of the transfer function analysis method independent of tracer recirculation effects and a priori knowledge of actual tracer concentrations.