lapdMouse: associating lung anatomy with local particle deposition in mice

To facilitate computational toxicology, we developed an approach for generating high-resolution lung-anatomy and particle-deposition mouse models. Major processing steps of our method include mouse preparation, serial block-face cryomicrotome imaging, and highly automated image analysis for generating three-dimensional (3D) mesh-based models and volume-based models of lung anatomy (airways, lobes, sublobes, and near-acini structures) that are linked to local particle-deposition measurements. Analysis resulted in 34 mouse models covering 4 different mouse strains (B6C3F1: 8, BALB/C: 11, C57Bl/6: 8, and CD-1: 7) as well as both sexes (16 male and 18 female) and different particle sizes [2 μm ( n = 15), 1 μm ( n = 16), and 0.5 μm ( n = 3)]. On average, resulting mouse airway models had 1,616.9 ± 298.1 segments, a centerline length of 597.6 ± 59.8 mm, and 1,968.9 ± 296.3 outlet regions. In addition to 3D geometric lung models, matching detailed relative particle-deposition measurements are provided. All data sets are available online in the lapdMouse archive for download. The presented approach enables linking relative particle deposition to anatomical structures like airways. This will in turn improve the understanding of site-specific airflows and how they affect drug, environmental, or biological aerosol deposition. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Computer simulations of particle deposition in mouse lungs play an important role in computational toxicology. Until now, a limiting factor was the lack of high-resolution mouse lung models and measured local particle-deposition information, which are required for developing accurate modeling approaches (e.g., computational fluid dynamics). With the developed imaging and analysis approach, we address this issue and provide all of the raw and processed data in a publicly accessible repository.