A Novel Multi-Layer Poro-Elastic Model of Lung Deformation

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method to simulate flow and deformation of the lung. The lung is assumed to behave as a poro-elastic medium with heterogeneous elastic property. The method uses a flow-structure interaction technique to simultaneously model flow within the airway and deformation of the lung lobes. The 3D lung geometry is reproduced from 4D CT scan dataset obtained on real human subjects at a Cancer Center. The non-linear Young’s modulus is estimated in a parallel study based on similar CT scan dataset. The novelty of the present technique lies in the use of onion-layer grid with distributed spatial permeability. It allows prediction of the spatial lung displacement that could be used for tracking lung tumor during radiotherapy.