Preferential volume reduction of diseased segments of a heterogeneous lobe

A treatment planning system for assisting a physician perform bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, the system including a processor operable to perform the following:

• receive diagnostic information including information derived from images relating to a patient's first and second lungs;
• compile a plurality of potential lung volume combinations for lung volume reduction in the first and second lungs wherein each potential lung volume combination includes at least one lung volume from the first lung and at least one lung volume from the second lung;
• compute a plurality of diagnostic values for each lung volume of said potential lung volume combinations;
• determine a segment exclusion rule operable to exclude one or more of the potential lung volume combinations based on comparing the diagnostic value from the computing step to a threshold value or range;
• and
• exclude at least one of the potential lung volume combinations based on said segment exclusion rule.