Topographic Thinning Lung "Onion" PDF Print E-mail

ALBUQUERQUE, NM:  inviCRO, together with the University of New Mexico and the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute have developed an imaging assay to assess the deposition of radiolabeled particles of varying properties in the respiratory tract of mice and rats. The image analysis team at inviCRO has developed an approach based on topographic thinning or "onion peeling" to quantify the distribution of the radiolabeled particles within the lungs.

 


Aerosols were generated using a series of compressed air jet nebulizers with and without active aerosol drying to achieve a range of desired particle size (0.5, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 micron).  The results of the study are in press and will be submitted for publication. Shown here are actual segmented SPECT images of Tc99m-labeled sulfur-colloid particles (top) and the associated onion model of the lung (bottom):

 

Segmented Lungs (SPECT)
Onion Model

 

Acknowledgments to Jeffrey P. Norenberg, Pharm.D. and Ben Gershman, MS (UNM) as well as Jacob McDonald, PhD and Philip Kuehl, PhD (LRRI)