Computer simulations of lung airway structures using data-driven surface modeling techniques

Knowledge of human lung morphology is a subject critical to many areas of m edicine. The visualization of lung structures naturally lends itself to com puter graphics modeling due to the large number of airways involved and the complexities of the branching systems. In this study, a method of generati ng three-dimensional computer simulations of human lung airway networks usi ng data-driven, surface modeling techniques is presented. By simulating the tubular airway structures and realistic bifurcation shapes, anatomically a ccurate representations of human lungs are obtained. These computer models are designed for use in computational fluid dynamic applications and partic le trajectory analyses, and to be complimentary to medical imaging (gamma s cintigraphy) protocols. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.