NON-INVASIVE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE

• US 20130060133A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ghassan S. Kassab, Yunlong Huo
• Original Assignee: Ghassan S. Kassab, Yunlong Huo
• Inventors: Kassab, Ghassan S., Huo, Yunlong
• Granted Patent: US 9,974,508 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 5/0263 using NMR
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Non-invasive systems and methods for determining fractional flow reserve. At least one method of determining fractional flow reserve within a luminal organ of the present disclosure comprising the steps of positioning a monitoring device external to a luminal organ and near a stenosis, the monitoring device capable of determining at least one characteristic of the stenosis, operating the monitoring device to determine the at least one characteristic of the stenosis, and determining fractional flow reserve at or near the stenosis based upon the at least one characteristic determined by the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method for determining fractional flow reserve within a luminal organ, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a monitoring device external to a luminal organ at or near a stenosis, the monitoring device capable of determining at least one characteristic of the stenosis;

operating the monitoring device to determine the at least one characteristic of the stenosis; and

determining fractional flow reserve at or near the stenosis based upon the at least one characteristic determined by the monitoring device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a stenosis geometry and a flow rate in the vessel at or near the stenosis.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the stenosis geometry comprises at least one geometry selected from the group consisting of a cross-sectional area of the luminal organ distal to the stenosis, a cross-sectional area of the luminal organ proximal to the stenosis, at least one cross-sectional area of the luminal organ at the stenosis, a percentage maximum stenosis of the luminal organ, and the length of the lesion of the luminal organ.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

diagnosing a disease based upon the determination of the fractional flow reserve within the vessel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of fractional flow reserve is indicative of a degree of stenosis within the luminal organ.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining fractional flow reserve is performed using a data acquisition and processing system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining fractional flow comprises the step of:

computing the fractional flow by the data acquisition and processing system using an algorithm selected from the group consisting of the equation;

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device operates to determine the at least one stenosis characteristic through angiography.

9. A non-invasive method for determining a flow rate within a luminal organ, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a monitoring device external to a luminal organ at or near a stenosis, the monitoring device capable of determining at least one characteristic of the stenosis;

operating the monitoring device to determine the at least one characteristic of the stenosis; and

computing the flow rate at or near the stenosis based upon the at least one characteristic determined by the monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one characteristic is a stenosis geometry at or near the stenosis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of computing the flow rate uses the equation:

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of computing the flow rate uses the equation:

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one stenosis characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a stenosis geometry and a flow rate in the luminal organ at or near the stenosis.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the stenosis geometry comprises at least one geometry selected from the group consisting of a cross-sectional area of the luminal organ distal to the stenosis, a cross-sectional area of the luminal organ proximal to the stenosis, at least one cross-sectional area of the luminal organ at the stenosis, a percentage maximum stenosis of the luminal organ, and the length of the lesion of the luminal organ.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is capable of diagnosing a disease based upon the calculation of the fractional flow reserve within the vessel.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the calculation of fractional flow reserve is indicative of a degree of stenosis within the luminal organ.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the a data acquisition and processing system further computes the fractional flow reserve using the equation:

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the a data acquisition and processing system computes the fractional flow reserve using the equation:

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring device operates to determine the at least one stenosis characteristic through angiography.

13. A system for non-invasively determining fractional flow reserve of a fluid within a luminal organ, the system comprising:

a monitoring device for determining fractional flow reserve, the monitoring device operable to detect at least one stenosis characteristic of a luminal organ having a stenosis from external to the luminal organ; and

a data acquisition and processing system in communication with the monitoring device, the data acquisition and processing system operable to calculate a fractional flow reserve from the at least one stenosis characteristic.