Virtual Construction of Human Lung

Ryuji Takaki¹ and Hiroko Kitaoka²

¹Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
E-mail: takaki@cc.tuat.ac.jp
²Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
E-mail: kitaokah@image.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

(Received November 19, 1999; Accepted December 27, 1999)

Keywords: Airway, Branching System, Lung, Space Filling, Acinus

Abstract. An algorithm to produce a branching system is proposed in order to simulate the human lung. This system has constraints that the end points of the airway should fill the 3D space uniformly, that the energy to supply air to the end points should be small and that the quantity of material to construct this system should be small. Several rules are set up to satisfy these constraints and the system is constructed virtually by the use of microcomputer. The optimum one among resulting airways proves to be quite similar to the real lung.