4D model generator of the human lung, "Lung4Cer".

We have developed a free software applications which generates 4D (= 3D + time) lung models for the purpose of studying lung anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. The coinage of 4C is originated from Japanese words, Catachi (= shape, structure) and Calacli (= machine, function). Lung4Cer makes 4D finite element models from the trachea to alveoli, which allow airflow simulation by means of computational fluid dynamics. Visualization of the generated models is expected to use a popular free software application, ParaView. There are several versions of Lung4Cer from basic lung morphology to advanced airflow computations simulating various clinical pulmonary function tests (PFT4Cer). All versions are designed so as to be operated on a common PC. Users can select model types and the element number according to their purposes and available computer resources.