Martonen T B, Yang Y, Dolovich M
Health Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.
J Thorac Imaging. 1994 Summer;9(3):188-97. doi: 10.1097/00005382-199422000-00015.
The efficacies of inhaled pharmacologic drugs in the prophylaxis and treatment of airway diseases could be improved if particles were selectively directed to appropriate sites. In the medical arena, planar gamma scintillation cameras may be employed to study factors affecting such particle deposition patterns within the lung. The value and versatility of such instruments, however, are compromised by the limited resolution of their images. Specifically, it is not possible to determine the composition of their central (C) or large airway, intermediate (I), and peripheral (P) or small airway zones. We present an analytical model to assist the clinician in the systematic analysis and interpretation of gamma camera images. Using the Cray Y-MP supercomputer, a range of human lung morphologies has been mapped to function as templates that can be superimposed on scans. The model is intended to complement laboratory regimens by providing a previously unavailable method to define the C, I, and P zones of the human lung generation by generation. A quantitative value now can be assigned to the degree of overlapping that exists in the images. For example, for a "typical" lung morphology consisting of 16,777,215 airways (total), the C zone itself may contain 1,608,246 airways, of which 1,595,940, or 99.2%, are alveolated airways. By identifying composition, our intent is to integrate the model into future aerosol therapy protocols and thereby assist procedures that target delivery of airborne pharmaceuticals.
如果能将颗粒选择性地引导至合适的部位，吸入性药物在气道疾病预防和治疗中的疗效可能会得到提高。在医学领域，平面γ闪烁相机可用于研究影响肺部颗粒沉积模式的因素。然而，这类仪器的价值和通用性因其图像分辨率有限而受到影响。具体而言，无法确定其中央（C）或大气道、中间（I）以及外周（P）或小气道区域的组成。我们提出一种分析模型，以协助临床医生对γ相机图像进行系统分析和解读。利用Cray Y-MP超级计算机，已绘制出一系列人类肺部形态图，用作可叠加在扫描图像上的模板。该模型旨在通过提供一种前所未有的方法，逐代定义人类肺部的C、I和P区域，从而补充实验室研究方案。现在可以为图像中存在的重叠程度赋予一个定量值。例如，对于一个由16,777,215条气道（总数）组成的“典型”肺部形态，C区域本身可能包含1,608,246条气道，其中1,595,940条，即99.2%，是有肺泡的气道。通过确定组成，我们的目的是将该模型整合到未来的气溶胶治疗方案中，从而辅助针对空气传播药物递送的程序。
