METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PATIENT-SPECIFIC MODELING OF BLOOD FLOW

• US 20120041735A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Original Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/9
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Abstract

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient'"'"'s heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient'"'"'s heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient'"'"'s heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for planning treatment for a patient, the system comprising:

at least one computer system configured to;

receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of an anatomical structure of the patient;

create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the anatomical structure of the patient based on the patient-specific data;

determine first information regarding a blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the three-dimensional model and a physics-based model relating to the anatomical structure of the patient;

modify the three-dimensional model; and

determine second information regarding the blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the modified three-dimensional model.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on input received from a user, the input including a selection of a plan of treatment for the patient.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the selected plan of treatment is associated with a change in the geometry of the anatomical structure of the patient; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on the selected plan of treatment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the received input includes a location in the anatomical structure of the patient for changing the geometry of the anatomical structure, the location being selected by the user; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on the selected plan of treatment and the selected location.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the selected plan of treatment includes a plan to insert a stent in the patient at the selected location; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model by widening a lumen represented by the three-dimensional model.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the selected plan of treatment includes a plan to add a bypass in the patient at the selected location; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model by adding a first bypass towards a lumen in the three-dimensional model.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one computer system is further configured to:

determine a difference between the first information and the second information at a plurality of locations within the anatomical structure of the patient.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the first information and the second information includes at least one of blood pressure, blood velocity, blood flow rate, or fractional flow reserve within the anatomical structure of the patient.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the anatomical structure of the patient includes at least one of a portion of a plurality of arteries in the patient'"'"'s heart, neck, head, thorax, abdomen, arms, or legs.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method for planning treatment for a patient, the method comprising:

receiving patient-specific data regarding a geometry of an anatomical structure of the patient;

creating a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the anatomical structure of the patient based on the patient-specific data;

determining first information regarding a blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the three-dimensional model and a physics-based model relating to the anatomical structure of the patient; and

determining second information regarding the blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on a desired change in geometry of the anatomical structure of the patient.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying the three-dimensional model based on input received from a user selecting a plan of treatment; and

determining the second information based on the modification.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein:

the selected plan of treatment is associated with a change in the geometry of the anatomical structure of the patient; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on the selected plan of treatment.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

the received input includes a location in the anatomical structure of the patient for changing the geometry of the anatomical structure, the location being selected by the user; and

the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on the selected plan of treatment and the selected location.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the method further includes:

determining a difference between the first information and the second information at a plurality of locations within the anatomical structure of the patient.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein each of the first information and the second information includes at least one of blood pressure, blood velocity, blood flow rate, or fractional flow reserve within the anatomical structure of the patient.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the anatomical structure of the patient includes at least one of a portion of a plurality of arteries in the patient'"'"'s heart, neck, head, thorax, abdomen, arms, or legs.

37. A method for planning treatment for a patient using a computer system, the method comprising:

inputting into at least one computer system patient-specific data regarding a geometry of an anatomical structure of the patient;

creating, using the at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the anatomical structure of the patient based on the patient-specific data;

determining, using the at least one computer system, first information regarding a blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the three-dimensional model and a physics-based model relating to the anatomical structure of the patient;

modifying, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model; and

determining, using the at least one computer system, second information regarding the blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the modified three-dimensional model.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

creating, using the at least one computer system, a three-dimensional simulation including the first information; and

creating, using the at least one computer system, a reduced-order model based on the three-dimensional simulation;

wherein the second information is determined using the reduced-order model.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the reduced-order model is a lumped parameter model.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the three-dimensional model is modified based on a first input received from a user, the first input indicating a first plan of treatment selected by the user, and the method further comprises:

modifying, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model separately from the first input and based on a second input received from the user, the second input indicating a second plan of treatment selected by the user; and

determining, using the at least one computer system, third information regarding the blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the three-dimensional model modified based on the second input; and

comparing the first and second plans of treatment by comparing the second information to the third information.

41-184. -184. (canceled)