Method and medical apparatus for measuring pulmonary artery blood flow
First Claim
1. A method for examination and evaluation of a human or animal body in relation to a blood flow in a pulmonary artery (PA), comprising steps of:
- (a) recording measurement data, from which at least a part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery (PA) is re-constructed at least two-dimensionally in a plane spanned by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery (PA) and by an anterior-posterior direction, including a plurality of diastolic points in time in a course of a heart cycle, after a closure of a pulmonary valve (PV),(b) at least semi-automatically analyzing the measurement data to identify at how many diastolic points, among said plurality of diastolic points in time, an asymmetry exists as to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery (PA) in the anterior-posterior direction;
(c) at least semi-automatically determining a measure that characterizes how long after the closure of the pulmonary valve (PV) in a flow behavior of the blood flow of the pulmonary artery said asymmetry exists; and
(d) making said measure available as an output.
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Abstract
In a method and apparatus for examination and evaluation of a blood flow in a pulmonary artery of a patient, measurement data are recorded, from which at least a part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery is able to be re-constructed at least two-dimensionally in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery and by an anterior-posterior direction, including at least at several diastolic points in time in the course of a heart cycle, after a closure of the pulmonary valve. The number of diastolic points for which an asymmetry in relation to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery in the anterior-posterior direction exists is determined. A measure is then determined that characterizes how long, after the closure of the pulmonary valve, the aforementioned asymmetry exists.
11 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for examination and evaluation of a human or animal body in relation to a blood flow in a pulmonary artery (PA), comprising steps of:
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(a) recording measurement data, from which at least a part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery (PA) is re-constructed at least two-dimensionally in a plane spanned by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery (PA) and by an anterior-posterior direction, including a plurality of diastolic points in time in a course of a heart cycle, after a closure of a pulmonary valve (PV), (b) at least semi-automatically analyzing the measurement data to identify at how many diastolic points, among said plurality of diastolic points in time, an asymmetry exists as to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery (PA) in the anterior-posterior direction; (c) at least semi-automatically determining a measure that characterizes how long after the closure of the pulmonary valve (PV) in a flow behavior of the blood flow of the pulmonary artery said asymmetry exists; and (d) making said measure available as an output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A medical imaging apparatus comprising:
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a measurement unit that interacts with a patient to obtain measurement data from the patient, from which at least a part of a blood flow in a pulmonary artery (PA); a computer that at least two-dimensionally reconstructs said blood flow in the pulmonary artery from said measurement data, in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery and by an interior-posterior direction, that includes a plurality of diastolic points in time in a course of a heart cycle, after a closure of a pulmonary valve (PV); and a processor configured to at least semi-automatically analyze said measurement data to identify how many diastolic points, among said plurality of diastolic points in time, an asymmetry exists as to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery in the interior-posterior direction, and to determine a measure that characterizes how long after said closure of the pulmonary valve in a flow behavior of the blood flow of the pulmonary artery said asymmetry exists, and to make said measure available as an output from said processor.
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Specification