Systems and methods for embolism prediction using embolus source and destination probabilities

• US 10,553,317 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Original Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Inventors: Grady, Leo, Choi, Gilwoo, Taylor, Charles A., Zarins, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudolph, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schwartz, Raphael
• Application Number:
  US15/827,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining a patient risk assessment or treatment plan based on emboli dislodgement and destination. One method includes receiving a patient-specific anatomic model generated from patient-specific imaging of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s vasculature; determining or receiving a location of interest in the patient-specific anatomic model of the patient'"'"'s vasculature; using a computing processor for calculating blood flow through the patient-specific anatomic model to determine blood flow characteristics through at least the portion of the patient'"'"'s vasculature of the patient-specific anatomic model downstream from the location of interest; and using a computing processor for particle tracking through the simulated blood flow to determine a destination probability of an embolus originating from the location of interest in the patient-specific anatomic model, based on the determined blood flow characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining a vascular source location of an embolus, the method comprising:

receiving a physiologic characteristic of a patient or a vessel wall property of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

determining a plurality of selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature from imaging, where each selected location is associated with an identified plaque, pathological area, or location of vascular shedding in the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating a path of a dislodged embolus from each selected location using the received patient physiological characteristic or received patient vessel wall property;

determining a patient-specific probability of an embolus lodging downstream of each selected location, where the probability is based on the simulated path; and

determining, based on the plurality of selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, a vascular source location of the embolus in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, based on a comparison of the determined patient-specific probability to a threshold probability or probability associated with a path other than the simulated paths.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a patient-specific anatomic model generated from patient-specific imaging of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating blood flow through the patient-specific anatomic model, wherein each simulated path of the dislodged embolus is based on the simulated blood flow; and

determining the patient-specific probability based on the stimulated blood flow.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the patient-specific probability by virtually tracking the embolus through the simulated blood flow.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

simulating the paths of the dislodged embolus by virtually injecting one or more particles into the patient-specific anatomic model.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a particle size or a number of particles to use for simulating the path of the dislodged embolus.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more locations of atherosclerotic plaques in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, wherein the vascular source location is further based on the one or more locations of the atherosclerotic plaques.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for a selected location of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, a risk of embolism or a patient risk of the medical condition or the disease of interest based on the determined patient-specific probability.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a display or treatment recommendation associated with the selected location of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the vascular source location, or the determined patient-specific probability.

9. A system for determining a vascular source location of an embolus, the system comprising:

a data storage device storing instructions for determining a vascular source location of an embolus; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including;

receiving a physiologic characteristic of a patient or a vessel wall property of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

determining a plurality of selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature from imaging, where selected location is associated with an identified plaque, pathological area, or location of vascular shedding in the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating a path of a dislodged embolus from each selected location using the received patient physiological characteristic or received patient vessel wall property;

determining a patient-specific probability of an embolus lodging downstream of each selected location, where the probability is based on the simulated path of a dislodged embolus through the patient'"'"'s vasculature, given the received physiologic characteristic of the patient or received vessel wall property; and

determining, based on the plurality of selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, a vascular source location of the embolus in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, based on a comparison of the determined patient-specific probability to a threshold probability or a probability associated with a path other than the simulated paths.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for:

receiving a patient-specific anatomic model generated from patient-specific imaging of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating blood flow through the patient-specific anatomic model, wherein each simulated path of the dislodged embolus is based on the simulated blood flow; and

determining the patient-specific probability based on the stimulated blood flow.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured for:

determining the patient-specific probability by virtually tracking the embolus through the simulated blood flow.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured for:

simulating the paths of the dislodged embolus by virtually injecting one or more particles into the patient-specific anatomic model.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for:

determining a particle size or a number of particles to use for simulating the path of the dislodged embolus.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for:

determining one or more locations of atherosclerotic plaques in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, wherein the vascular source location is further based on the one or more locations of the atherosclerotic plaques.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for:

determining, for a selected location of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, a risk of embolism or a patient risk of the medical condition or the disease of interest based on the determined patient-specific probability.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is further configured for:

generating a display or treatment recommendation associated with the selected location of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, the vascular source location, or the determined patient-specific probability.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method of determining a vascular source location of an embolus, the method comprising:

receiving a physiologic characteristic of a patient or a vessel wall property of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

determining plurality of a selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature from imaging, where each selected location is associated with an identified plaque, pathological area, or location of vascular shedding in the patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating a path of a dislodged embolus from each selected location using the received patient physiological characteristic or received patient vessel wall property;

determining a patient-specific probability of an embolus lodging downstream of each selected location, where the probability is based on the simulated path; and

determining, based on the plurality of selected locations of the patient'"'"'s vasculature, a vascular source location of the embolus in the patient'"'"'s vasculature, based on a comparison of the determined patient-specific probability to a threshold probability or a probability associated with a path other than the simulated paths.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving a patient-specific anatomic model generated from patient-specific imaging of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s vasculature;

simulating blood flow through the patient-specific anatomic model, wherein each simulated path of the dislodged embolus is based on the simulated blood flow; and

determining the patient-specific probability based on the stimulated blood flow.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

determining the patient-specific probability by virtually tracking the embolus through the simulated blood flow.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

simulating the path of the dislodged embolus by virtually injecting one or more particles into the patient-specific anatomic model.