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3-D SIMULATIONS OF AIRWAYS WITHIN HUMAN LUNGS
Citation:
Martonen, T B. AND K K. Isaacs. 3-D SIMULATIONS OF AIRWAYS WITHIN HUMAN LUNGS. Presented at Inter. Society for Aerosols in Medicine, Perth, Western Australia, March 14-18, 2005.
Description:
Information regarding the deposition patterns of inhaled particles has important application to the fields of toxicology and medicine. The former concerns the risk assessment of inhaled air pollutants (inhalation toxicology); the latter concerns the targeted delivery of inhaled pharmacological drugs (aerosol therapy). It is well documented in the literature that the behavior and fate of inhaled particles may be formulated using three families of variables: respiratory system morphologies, aerosol characteristics, and ventilatory parameters. We propose that the seminal role is played by morphology, because the structures of the individual airways and their spatial orientations within lungs affect the motion of the air and the trajectories of transported particles. In previous efforts, we have developed original algorithms to describe airway networks within lungs and employed them as templates to interpret the results of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies. We have advanced the process of mathematical modeling and computer simulations to produce three-dimensional (3D) images. We have tested the new in silico model by studying two different branching concepts: an inclusive (all airways present) system, and a single "typical" pathway system. When viewed with appropriate 3D glasses, the 3D nature of airway branching networks within lungs, as displayed via our original computer graphics software, is clear. We submit that the new technology will have numerous functions in future medical and toxicological regimens, the most fundamental being the creation of a platform to view natural 3D structures with related biological processes (e.g., disposition of inhaled pollutants or pharmaceuticals). [Disclaimer: This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Acknowledgment: K.K. Isaacs is supported by NHEERL-UNC DESE Cooperative Training Agreement EPA CT826513]