System and method for facilitating cardiac intervention

• US 20050187461A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital Southwest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Capital Southwest Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Albert Michael, Murphy, Gregory, Suresh, Mitta
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/416
• 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 heart based on the patient data, wherein the model comprises features, simulating at least one proposed cardiac intervention treatment by adding or deleting features 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

1-239. -239. (canceled)

240. A method of assessing a viability of human heart tissue, comprising:

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

assessing viability of the heart tissue by using the computer system to assess a contrast between two or more sections in at least one image.

241. The method of claim 240, further comprising:

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

using at least two of the 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.

242. The method of claim 240, further comprising:

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

using at least two of the images of human 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 four-dimensional.

243. The method of claim 242, wherein one of the dimensions comprises time.

244. The method of claim 242, wherein one of the dimensions comprises at least one physiological factor.

245. The method of claim 244, wherein at least one physiological factor comprises hormone B-type natriuretic peptide.

246. The method of claim 240, further comprising creating one or more images of at least some of the contrasted sections of the image used to assess viability of the heart.

247. The method of claim 246, wherein at least a portion of at least one image of the contrasted sections appears at least three-dimensional.

248. The method of claim 246, wherein at least one image comprises progressive coloring.

249. The method of claim 248, wherein the progressive coloring comprises grayscale.

250. A method of assessing a viability of human heart tissue, comprising:

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

dividing at least one of the images into a plurality of sections;

assigning a value to at least one of the sections, wherein the value is a function of a feature of the section; and

using the value of at least one of the sections to assess viability of human heart tissue in or proximate to at least one of the sections with an assigned value.

251. The method of claim 250, wherein assessing viability of human heart tissue comprises determining viability of human heart tissue.

252. The method of claim 250, wherein the feature of the section is a color of the section.

253. The method of claim 252, wherein the color of the section comprises grayscale.

254. The method of claim 250, wherein the computer system divides at least one of the images into a plurality of images.

255. The method of claim 250, wherein the computer system assigns the value to at least one of the sections.

256. The method of claim 250, further comprising extrapolating at least one feature from at least one of the images.

257. The method of claim 250, wherein the computer system uses the value assigned to at least one of the sections to assess viability of human heart tissue in or proximate to at least one of the sections with an assigned value.

258. The method of claim 250, further comprising creating at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional.

259. The method of claim 250, further comprising creating at least a second image of human heart tissue, wherein at least a portion of the second image appears at least three-dimensional, with different viabilities indicated on the image.

260. The method of claim 259, further comprising displaying the three-dimensional image.

261. The method of claim 250, further comprising creating a report comprising an image of human heart tissue appearing at least thee-dimensional, wherein the image is divided into sections based on the assessed viability of the sections.

262. (canceled)

263. A system configured to assess a viability of human heart tissue, comprising:

a CPU; and

a system memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the system memory stores one or more computer programs executable by the CPU;

wherein one or more computer programs are executable to;

provide at least one image of heart tissue from a human heart to a computer system; and

assess viability of human heart tissue by using the computer system to assess a contrast between at least two sections in at least one image.

264-494. -494. (canceled)