Comparison of methods for deriving aerosol deposition by airway generation from three-dimensional radionuclide imaging

Three-dimensional radionuclide imaging provides information on the intra-pulmonary spatial deposition of inhaled aerosol. Conversion of this data to provide the airway deposition pattern is valuable to clinical researchers in inhalation therapy and mathematical modellers of aerosol deposition. An iterative technique for performing this process is described and evaluated on simulated image data in which the 'true' distribution by airway generation is known. It is compared to three previously described methods and shown to have better accuracy and precision in estimating airway distribution. The coefficient of Variation for estimating the bronchial airways deposition using the new technique of 13% is superior to that for the whole conducting airway at 20%. In conclusion a new method for converting spatial imaging data on inhaled aerosol deposition to a description by airway generation is presented and shown to be superior to three alternative approaches. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.