Schroeter Jeffry D, Pritchard John N, Hwang Dongming, Martonen Ted B
Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Pharm Res. 2005 Oct;22(10):1692-9. doi: 10.1007/s11095-005-6628-y. Epub 2005 Sep 22.
Quantification of inhaled aerosols by planar gamma scintigraphy could be improved if a more comprehensive assessment of aerosol distribution patterns among lung airways were obtained. The analysis of planar scans can be quite subjective because of overlaying of small, peripheral airways with large, conducting airways. Herein, a computer modeling technique of the three-dimensional (3-D) branching structure of human lung airways was applied to assist in the interpretation of planar gamma camera images.
Airway dimensions were derived from morphometric data, and lung boundaries were formulated from scintigraphy protocols. Central, intermediate, and peripheral regions were superimposed on a planar view of the 3-D simulations, and airways were then tabulated by type, number, surface area, and volume in each respective region.
These findings indicate that the central region, for example, consists mostly of alveolated airways. Specifically, it was found that alveolated airways comprise over 99% of the total number of airways, over 95% of the total airway surface area, and approximately 80% of the total airway volume in the central region.
The computer simulations are designed to serve as templates that can assist in the interpretation of aerosol deposition data from scintigraphy images.
如果能对肺气道中的气溶胶分布模式进行更全面的评估，那么通过平面γ闪烁扫描法对吸入气溶胶进行定量分析的结果将会得到改善。由于小的外周气道与大的传导气道相互重叠，平面扫描的分析可能会相当主观。在此，应用一种对人类肺气道三维（3-D）分支结构的计算机建模技术来辅助平面γ相机图像的解读。
气道尺寸源自形态测量数据，肺边界根据闪烁扫描方案确定。将中央、中间和外周区域叠加到三维模拟的平面图上，然后按类型、数量、表面积和体积对每个区域的气道进行列表统计。
这些发现表明，例如，中央区域主要由肺泡化气道组成。具体而言，发现肺泡化气道在中央区域占气道总数的99%以上、气道总表面积的95%以上以及气道总体积的约80%。
计算机模拟旨在作为模板，辅助解读闪烁扫描图像中的气溶胶沉积数据。
