System and method for facilitating cardiac intervention

• US 20050020929A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital Southwest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chase Medical LP
• Inventors: Murphy, Gregory, Suresh, Mitta, Davis, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

One embodiment discloses a computerized method of facilitating cardiac intervention, comprising inputting patient data, creating a computerized interactive model of a diseased heart based on the patient data, wherein the model comprises structural elements, simulating at least one proposed cardiac intervention treatment by adding or deleting structural elements to the model, and determining the effects of the proposed cardiac simulation upon the entire model. Simulations may be repeated to allow the user to determine an optimal cardiac intervention. Additionally, a template may be created from the model to use as a guide during the cardiac intervention.

Claims

1-8. -8 (cancelled)

9. A method of diagnosing a human heart, comprising:

providing one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to a computer system; and

comparing at least one structural element of at least one image of the one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to one or more reference structural elements in a database to assess a state of the heart.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises an image.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a physiological factor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises at least a portion of an image.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element derived at least in part from at least a portion of an image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein comparing at least one structural element comprises using the computer system to perform the comparison.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the database comprises clinical data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the clinical data comprises data derived from one or more surgical procedures.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer system divides at least one image of human heart tissue into a plurality of sections.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system, and

extrapolating at least a portion of at least one structural element from at least two images of human heart tissue.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least two images of heart tissue to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a plurality of images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least some of the plurality of images to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least four-dimensional.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the dimensions comprises time.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the dimensions comprises at least one physiological factor.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one physiological factor comprises hormone B-type natriuretic peptide.

25. The method of claim 9, further comprising creating one or more images of the assessed state of the heart.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the images appears three-dimensional.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one image of the assessed state of the heart comprises color gradients.

28. A method of diagnosing a human heart, comprising:

providing to a computer system a plurality of images of heart tissue from the heart;

using the plurality of images to create at least one second image of human heart tissue using the computer system, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional, and wherein the second image comprises one or more structural elements; and

comparing at least one structural element to one or more heart reference structural elements in a database to assess a state of the heart.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises an image.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a portion of an image.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a physiological factor.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element derived at least in part from at least a portion of an image.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein comparing at least one structural element comprises using the computer system to perform the comparison.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the database comprises data from one or more surgical procedures.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the computer system divides the plurality of images into a plurality of sections.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising extrapolating at least a portion of at least one structural element from the plurality of images of human heart tissue provided to the computer system.

38. The method of claim 28, further comprising using the plurality of images to create at least a second image, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least four-dimensional.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein one of the four-dimensions comprises time.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one of the four-dimensions comprises at least one physiological factor.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein at least one physiological factor comprises hormone B-type natriuretic peptide.

42. The method of claim 28, further comprising creating one or more images of the assessed state of the heart.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein at least one image of the assessed state of the heart comprises at least a portion appearing at least three-dimensional.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein at least one image of the assessed state of the heart comprises color gradients.

45. A method of diagnosing a human heart, comprising:

providing one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to a computer system; and

comparing at least one numerical element derived from at least one structural element of at least one image of the one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to one or more reference structural elements in a database to assess a state of the heart.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises an image.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a physiological factor.

48. The method of claim 45., wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises at least a portion of an image.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element derived at least in part from at least a portion of an image.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein comparing at least one structural element comprises using the computer system to perform the comparison.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the database comprises clinical data.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the database comprises data from one or more surgical procedures.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the computer system divides at least one image of human heart tissue into a plurality of sections.

55. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system, and

extrapolating at least a portion of at least one structural element from at least two images of human heart tissue.

56. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least two images of heart tissue to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional.

57. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

providing a plurality of images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least some of the plurality of images to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least four-dimensional.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein one of the dimensions comprises time.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein at least one of the dimensions comprises at least one physiological factor.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein at least one physiological factor comprises hormone B-type natriuretic peptide.

61. The method of claim 45, further comprising creating one or more images of the assessed state of the heart.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the images appears three-dimensional.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein at least one image of the assessed state of the heart comprises color gradients.

64. A method of diagnosing a human heart, comprising:

providing one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to a computer system; and

comparing at least one structural element of at least one image of the one or more images of heart tissue from the heart to one or more reference structural elements in a database to assess a state of the heart, wherein at least one of the structural elements comprises a physiological factor.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises an image.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a physiological factor.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises at least a portion of an image.

68. The method of claim 64, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element.

69. The method of claim 64, wherein at least one of the reference structural elements comprises a numerical element derived at least in part from at least a portion of an image.

70. The method of claim 64, wherein comparing at least one structural element comprises using the computer system to perform the comparison.

71. The method of claim 64, wherein the database comprises clinical data.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the database comprises data from one or more surgical procedures.

73. The method of claim 64, wherein the computer system divides at least one image of human heart tissue into a plurality of sections.

74. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system, and

extrapolating at least a portion of at least one structural element from at least two images of human heart tissue.

75. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

providing two or more images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least two images of heart tissue to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional.

76. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

providing a plurality of images of heart tissue to the computer system; and

using at least some of the plurality of images to create at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least four-dimensional.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein one of the dimensions comprises time.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein at least one of the dimensions comprises at least one physiological factor.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein at least one physiological factor comprises hormone B-type natriuretic peptide.

80. The method of claim 64, further comprising creating one or more images of the assessed state of the heart.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the images appears three-dimensional.

82. The method of claim 80, wherein at least one image of the assessed state of the heart comprises color gradients.