METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BLOOD FLOW REQUIRED, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BLOOD FLOW IMAGE, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGE

• US 20140029835A1
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung Hwan, Kim, Sang Wook, Lee, Hyong Euk, Kang, Na Hyup, Kim, Ji Yeon
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/134
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30104 Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/149 involving deformable models, e.g. active contour models

Abstract

A method of determining a required blood flow includes obtaining morphological information of a coronary artery in a cardiac image, segmenting the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery, and determining a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region.

Claims

1. A method of determining a required blood flow, the method comprising:

obtaining morphological information of a coronary artery in a cardiac image;

segmenting the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery; and

determining a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the segmenting of the cardiac image comprises segmenting the cardiac image into the at least one myocardial region based on a distance from the coronary artery based on the morphological information of the coronary artery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the segmenting of the cardiac image further comprises determining a plurality of myocardial regions closest to the coronary artery to be one myocardial region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the required blood flow comprises determining the blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region based on a volume of each of the at least one myocardial region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining of the required blood flow further comprises:

calculating a mass of each of the at least one myocardial region based on the volume of each of the at least one myocardial region and an average myocardial density;

calculating an oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated mass of each of the at least one myocardial region; and

determining the blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region.

6. A method of generating a blood flow image, the method comprising:

obtaining morphological information of a coronary artery on a heart in a cardiac image of a user;

acquiring myocardial blood flow distribution information from a myocardial perfusion image of the heart; and

generating a blood flow image of the coronary artery based on the myocardial blood flow distribution information and the morphological information of the coronary artery.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the generating of the blood flow image of the coronary artery comprises:

segmenting the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery;

determining a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region;

adjusting the required blood flow based on the myocardial blood flow distribution information; and

generating the blood flow image of the coronary artery based on the adjusted required blood flow and physiological information of the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the segmenting of the cardiac image comprises segmenting the cardiac image into the at least one myocardial region based on a distance from the coronary artery based on the morphological information of the coronary artery.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the segmenting of the cardiac image further comprises determining a plurality of myocardial regions closest to the coronary artery to be one myocardial region.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining of the required blood flow comprises determining the blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region based on a volume of each of the at least one myocardial region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining of the required blood flow further comprises:

calculating a mass of each of the at least one myocardial region based on the volume of each of the at least one myocardial region and an average myocardial density;

calculating an oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated mass of each of the at least one myocardial region; and

determining the blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the adjusting of the required blood flow comprises adjusting the required blood flow based on a blood flow distribution curve derived from the myocardial perfusion image.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating of the blood flow image of the coronary artery comprises generating the blood flow image of the coronary artery by applying the adjusted required blood flow and the physiological information of the user to the morphological information of the coronary artery.

14. A method of processing a myocardial perfusion image, the method comprising:

obtaining morphological information of a coronary artery on a heart in a cardiac image of a user;

estimating myocardial blood flow distribution information from a myocardial perfusion image of the heart based on the morphological information of the coronary artery; and

processing the myocardial perfusion image based on the estimated myocardial blood flow distribution information to improve a precision of the myocardial perfusion image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein estimating of the myocardial blood flow distribution information comprises:

segmenting the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery;

determining a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region; and

estimating the myocardial blood flow distribution information from the myocardial perfusion image based on the required blood flow and physiological information of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining of the required blood flow comprises:

calculating a mass of each of the at least one myocardial region based on a volume of each of the at least one myocardial region and an average myocardial density;

calculating an oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated mass of each of the at least one myocardial region; and

determining the blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region based on the calculated oxygen demand for each of the at least one myocardial region.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing of the myocardial perfusion image comprises adjusting myocardial blood flow distribution information acquired from the myocardial perfusion image based on the estimated myocardial blood flow distribution information.

18. An apparatus for determining a required blood flow, the apparatus comprising:

a coronary artery identifying unit configured to obtain morphological information of a coronary artery in a cardiac image;

a myocardial region segmentation unit configured to segment the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery; and

a required blood flow determining unit configured to determine a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region.

19. An apparatus for generating a blood flow image, the apparatus comprising:

a coronary artery identifying unit configured to obtain morphological information of a coronary artery on a heart in a cardiac image of a user;

a blood flow distribution information acquisition unit configured to acquire myocardial blood flow distribution information from a myocardial perfusion image of the heart; and

a blood flow image generating unit configured to generate a blood flow image of the coronary artery based on the myocardial blood flow distribution information and the morphological information of the coronary artery.

20. An apparatus for processing a myocardial perfusion image, the apparatus comprising:

a coronary artery identifying unit configured to obtain morphological information of a coronary artery on a heart in a cardiac image of a user;

a blood flow distribution information estimating configured to estimate myocardial blood flow distribution information from a myocardial perfusion image of the heart based on the morphological information of the coronary artery; and

a myocardial perfusion image processing unit configured to process the myocardial perfusion image based on the estimated myocardial blood flow distribution information to improve a precision of the myocardial perfusion image.