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M. Tawhai, P. Hunter, J. Tschirren, J. M. Reinhardt, G. McLennan, and E. A. Hoffman. CT-based geometry analysis and finite element models of the human and ovine bronchial tree. J. Applied Physiology, vol. 97, no. 6, pp. 2310-2321, 2004.

Abstract: The interpretation of experimental results from functional medical imaging is complicated by inter-subject and inter-species differences in airway geometry. The application of computational models in understanding the significance of these differences requires methods for generation of subject-specific geometric models of the bronchial airway tree. In the current study curvilinear airway centerline and diameter models have been fitted to human and ovine bronchial trees using detailed data segmented from multidetector row x-ray computed tomography scans. The trees have been extended to model the entire conducting airway system, by using a volume-filling algorithm to generate airway centerline locations within detailed volume descriptions of the lungs or lobes. Analysis of the geometry of the scan-based and model-based airways has verified their consistency with measures from previous anatomical studies, and has provided new anatomical data for the ovine bronchial tree. Using an identical parameter set, the volume-filling algorithm has produced airway trees with branching asymmetry appropriate for the human and ovine lung, demonstrating the dependence of the method on the shape of the lung or lobe volume. The modeling approach that has been developed can be applied to any level of detail of the airway tree and into any volume shape for the lung, hence it can be used directly for different individuals or animals, and for any number of scan-based airways. The resulting models are subject-specific computational meshes with anatomically-consistent geometry, suitable for application in simulation studies.

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Keywords: airways modeling

Other publications by: M. Tawhai, P. Hunter, J. Tschirren, J. M. Reinhardt, G. McLennan, E. A. Hoffman

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J. M. Reinhardt, N. D. D'Souza, and E. A. Hoffman. Accurate Measurement of Intra-Thoracic Airways. IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 820-827, 1997. (details)
C. P. Rooney, M. Suter, G. McLennan, M. Donnelley, J. M. Reinhardt, A. Delsing, E. A. Hoffman, and J. Zabner. Laser Fluorescence Bronchoscopy for Detection of Fluorescent Reporter Genes in Airway Epithelia. Gene Therapy, vol. 9, no. 23, pp. 1639-1644, 2002. (details)
D. Aykac, E. A. Hoffman, G. McLennan, and J. M. Reinhardt. Segmentation and analysis of the human airway tree from three-dimensional X-Ray CT images. IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 940-950, 2003. (details)
O. Saba, E. A. Hoffman, and J. M. Reinhardt. Maximizing Quantitative Accuracy of Lung Airway Lumen and Wall Measures Obtained from X-ray CT Imaging. J. Applied Physiology, vol. 95, pp. 1063-1095, 2003. (details)
M. Suter, J. Tschirren, J. M. Reinhardt, M. Sonka, E. A. Hoffman, W. E. Higgins, and G. McLennan. Evaluation of the human airway with multi-detector X-ray computed tomography and optical imaging. Physiological Measurement, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 837-847, 2004. (details)

Related conference papers:

N. D. D'Souza, J. M. Reinhardt, and E. A. Hoffman. ASAP: Interactive Quantification of 2D Airway Geometry. In E. A. Hoffman, ed., Proc. SPIE Conf. Medical Imaging, vol. 2709, pp. 180-196, Newport Beach, CA, 1996. (details)
R. A. Chiplunkar, J. M. Reinhardt, and E. A. Hoffman. Segmentation and Quantification of the Primary Human Airway Tree from 3-D X-ray CT. In E. A. Hoffman, ed., Proc. SPIE Conf. Medical Imaging, vol. 3033, pp. 403-414, Newport Beach, CA, 1997. (details)
J. M. Reinhardt, S. A. Raab, N. D. D'Souza, and E. A. Hoffman. Intra-thoracic airway measurement: Ex vivo validation. In E. A. Hoffman, ed., Proc. SPIE Conf. Medical Imaging, vol. 3033, pp. 69-80, Newport Beach, CA, 1997. (details)
J. M. Reinhardt, W. Park, E. A. Hoffman, and M. Sonka. Intrathoracic airway wall detection using graph search with CT scanner PSF information. In E. A. Hoffman, ed., Proc. SPIE Conf. Medical Imaging, vol. 3033, pp. 93-101, Newport Beach, CA, 1997. (details)
R. D. Swift, W. E. Higgins, E. A. Hoffman, G. McLennan, and J. M. Reinhardt. Automatic axis generation for 3D virtual-bronchoscopic image assessment. In E. A. Hoffman, ed., Proc. SPIE Conf. Medical Imaging, vol. 3337, pp. 73-84, San Diego, CA, 1998. (details)

Related theses:

D. Aykac. Segmentation and analysis of the human airway tree from 3D X-ray CT images. MS thesis, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2000. (details)
D. Gopalakrishnan. Color analysis of the human airway wall. MS thesis, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2003. (details)
O. Saba. Accurate estimation of airway geometry with tilt angle estimation from 2D HRCT slices. MS thesis, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2000. (details)
S. V. Bodas. Improved association graph matching of intra-patient airway trees. MS thesis, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2008. (details)