Three-Dimensional Model of the Human Airway Tree Based on a Fractal Branching Algorithm

The author introduces a three-dimensional (3D) model of the human airway tree generated by a deterministic algorithm. The algorithm is based on a physiological principle: the amount of fluid delivery through a branch is proportional to the volume of the region it supplies. This principle defines the basic process of branching, where generation of the dimensions and directionality of two daughter branches is governed by the properties of the parent branch. The daughter branch becomes a parent and the same process is succeeded. Since this algorithm is size-independent, the generated structure has the self-similar property. Applied to the human lung, the algorithm generates an airway tree down to the terminal bronchioles. The outlook of the airway tree model is quite similar to the real one and its morphometric characteristics are in good agreement with those reported in the literature.

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