DETERMINING MECHANICAL FORCE ON ANEURYSMS FROM A FLUID DYNAMIC MODEL DRIVEN BY VESSEL BLOOD FLOW INFORMATION

• US 20090281423A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sirohey, Saad Ahmed, Avinash, Gopal B., Licato, Paul E., Bembenek, Tamanna N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,427,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some implementations changes in an aneurysm in a patient over time are identified by determining temporal differences between segmented aneurysms in a plurality of longitudinal exams and visually presenting the temporal differences.

Claims

1. A method to image a patient, the method comprising:

accessing four-dimensional image data that tracks contrast flow through a vasculature;

determining vessel flow information of the vasculature;

determining mechanical forces on a wall of an aneurism from the vessel flow information using a fluid dynamics model wherein the mechanical force attributes varies in proportion to velocity of fluid in vasculature in a direction perpendicular to a plane of shear in the vasculature; and

visually presenting the determined mechanical force attributes in three-dimensional rendition of the volumetric data using visual cues to indicate degree of mechanical force attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid dynamics model further comprises:

a Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing further comprises:

accessing four-dimensional data that tracks contrast flow through a vasculature

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining vessel flow information further comprises:

detecting a velocity of contrast uptake in a vessel; and

detecting a cross-sectional area of the vessel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a report of the determined mechanical force attributes; and

storing the report.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing treatment based on the determined mechanical force attributes.

5. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining vessel flow information further comprises:

identifying two points on a vessel being a distance apart from each other;

determining a time for each of the two points of which flow in the vessel reaches a steady state contrast enhanced value; and

determining the velocity by dividing the distance by the difference of the two times.

8. A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions to image a patient, the executable instructions capable of directing a processor to perform:

determining mechanical forces on a wall of aneurism using a fluid dynamics model; and

visually presenting the determined mechanical force attributes in three-dimensional rendition of the volumetric data using visual cues to indicate degree of mechanical force attributes.

9. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein the fluid dynamics model further comprises:

a Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics model.

10. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein the mechanical force attributes further comprises:

linearly proportional to velocity of fluid in a proximity to a location in a direction perpendicular to a plane of shear in the location.

11. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8, the medium further comprising executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

accessing four-dimensional image data that describes contrast flow through a vasculature; and

determining vessel flow information.

12. The computer-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform the accessing further comprise executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

accessing four-dimensional image data that describes contrast flow through a vasculature;

13. The computer-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform the determining vessel flow information further comprise executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

detecting a velocity of contrast uptake in a vessel; and

detecting a cross-sectional area of the vessel.

14. The computer-accessible medium of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform the determining vessel flow information further comprise executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

identifying two points on a vessel being a distance apart from each other;

determining a time for each of the two points of which flow in the vessel reaches a steady state contrast enhanced value; and

determining the velocity by dividing the distance by the difference of the two times.

15. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8 further comprising executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

generating a report of the determined mechanical force attributes; and

storing the report.

16. The computer-accessible medium of claim 8 further comprising executable instructions capable of directing the processor to perform:

providing treatment based on the determined mechanical force attributes.

17. A medical imaging system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor;

software apparatus operable on the processor comprising;

a fluids dynamics model;

a vessel flow analyzer operable to determine vessel flow data of a vasculature represented in four-dimensional image data; and

a mechanical force analyzer that is operable to determine a mechanical force on a wall of a aneurism from the vessel flow data using the fluid dynamics model wherein the mechanical force attributes varies in proportion to a velocity of a fluid in the vasculature in a direction perpendicular to a plane of shear in the vasculature.

18. The medical imaging system of claim 17 further comprising:

an apparatus operable to visually display the mechanical force attributes in three-dimensional rendition of the volumetric data using visual cues to indicate a degree of mechanical force attributes.

19. The medical imaging system of claim 17, wherein the fluid dynamics model further comprises:

a Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics model.

20. The medical imaging system of claim 17, wherein the four-dimensional image data further comprises:

four-dimensional image data.