Imaging the airways

The IMAGING THE AIRWAYS thesis project is a multidiscipline and multimedia endeavor consisting of two main parts: I. 3D Modeling of a Complete Respiratory Airway for Use in Computational Flow Dynamics Studies of Particle Deposition in the Lungs and II. Creation of an Educational Animation about the Respiratory System for Use in RIT’s Human Visualization Project and CollaboRITorium. Part I involved collaboration with RIT’s Mechanical Engineering Department to construct a 3D model of one complete respiratory pathway, from the oral cavity to the site of gas exchange between the lungs and the blood. The project is a continuation of thesis work completed by Jackie Russo, MS Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2007 and Jessica Weisman, MFA Medical Illustration, Class of 2007. Russo and Weisman constructed a model of the upper respiratory tract, from the oral cavity to generation 5 (as defined by Des Jardins, 2007). Weisman also constructed a model of a respiratory acinus (generation 20-28). Part I of the IMAGING THE AIRWAYS thesis project involved creating a Maya model of generations 6-19 to bridge the two existing models and creating a Maya model of the respiratory membrane to study nanoparticle translocation from the lungs to the blood. Part I of the project also involved creating promotional materials that were featured in the March 17-April 9, 2008 thesis show and at the 2008 Imagine RIT Innovation and Creativity Festival. The promotional materials consist of a 35” x 43” poster, a postcard, a website, and a one-minute promotional video. Part II of the project involved creating a 5-minute animation about the respiratory system for use by RIT’s Human Visualization Project (HVP) and CollaboRITorium, as well as an HVP website