Pulmonary alveoli cluster analysis of 3D human lung microstructure using synchrotron radiation micro-CT

3D microstructural analysis of the human lung can provide unknown information about lung growth and progression of lung diseases. In this study, the alveolar walls of alveolar ducts and alveolar sacs of normal adult lungs were analyzed and classified into primary and secondary septa. The procedure is as follows. (1) 11 lung specimens were prepared by the Heitzman's method, (2) 3D micro-CT experiments were executed using BL20B2 at SPring-8, (3) Alveolar walls were extracted from 3D reconstructed images (12,429 x 12,429 x 4,800, pixel size 3 mu m), and (4) Primary and secondary septa were classified by principal component analysis of alveolar walls. 3D structure of alveolar ducts and alveolar walls in normal adult lungs were clarified.