A Novel Method of Characterizing Regional Lung Deformation

Regional lung deformation (as opposed to whole lung volume change) may be an indicator of localized lung malformations. Regional deformation may be characterized by principal strains, but lack a direct physiological relevance. Alternatively, regional volume change (distribution of Jacobian) is physiologically intuitive, but does not characterize all aspects of deformation. For instance, a region may undergo no volume change, but still have deformed significantly — say, when the lengthening in one direction is compensated by contraction along another direction. From a perspective of physiological relevance to lung function, lung deformation may be thought to encompass both the volume change and directional preferences in volume change.