Method and system for patient-specific modeling of blood flow

• US 8,311,747 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Original Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clow, Lori A
• Application Number:
  US13/014,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/19
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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. A method for planning a treatment of a patient, the method comprising:

displaying, using at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of at least one coronary artery of the patient;

displaying, using the at least one computer system, a first fractional flow reserve for the at least one coronary artery, wherein the first fractional flow reserve is calculated by the at least one computer system;

modifying, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model based on information regarding an image of a stent positioned on the three-dimensional model; and

displaying, using the at least one computer system, a second fractional flow reserve for the at least one coronary artery, wherein the second fractional flow reserve is calculated by the at least one computer system based on the modified three-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional model represents at least a portion of an aorta and at least a portion of each of a plurality of coronary arteries emanating from the portion of the aorta.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the three-dimensional model represents at least a portion of a plurality of coronary arteries;

displaying the first fractional flow reserve includes displaying, using the at least one computer system, first fractional flow reserves within more than one of the coronary arteries; and

displaying the second fractional flow reserve includes displaying, using the at least one computer system, second fractional flow reserves within more than one of the coronary arteries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying first information and second information regarding a blood flow characteristic within at least the portion of the at least one coronary artery, before and after the modifying step, respectively;

wherein the first and second information includes at least one of blood pressure, blood velocity or blood flow rate.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

identifying an occlusion of the at least one coronary artery using the at least one computer system; and

wherein modifying the three-dimensional model comprises altering the at least one coronary artery on the model to reflect insertion of the stent in the at least one coronary artery at a location of the identified occlusion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the occlusion includes receiving, using the at least one computer system, input from a user identifying the location of the occlusion.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the occlusion includes automatically identifying, using the at least one computer system, the location of the occlusion.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

creating, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model based on imaging data provided by one or more noninvasive imaging techniques.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

determining, using the at least one computer system, the first fractional flow reserve based on the three-dimensional model and at least one physics-based model; and

determining, using the at least one computer system, the second fractional flow reserve based on the modified three-dimensional model.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving, using the at least one computer system, input from a user including information regarding the stent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the received input includes at least one of a location or a dimension of the stent; and

the three-dimensional model is modified based on the at least one of the location or the dimension of the stent.

12. The method of claim 10, further including:

storing, using the at least one computer system, information regarding a plurality of stents;

wherein the received input includes a selection of one of the plurality of stents and the three-dimensional model is modified based on the information regarding the selected stent.

13. The method of claim 1, further including proposing, using the at least one computer system, the information regarding the stent.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first fractional flow reserve is displayed on the three-dimensional model; and

the second fractional flow reserve is displayed on the modified three-dimensional model.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the first fractional flow reserve is displayed on the three-dimensional model using colors or shading, and variations in the first fractional flow reserve are indicated by variations in color or shading on the three-dimensional model; and

the second fractional flow reserve is displayed on the modified three-dimensional model using colors or shading, and variations in the second fractional flow reserve are indicated by variations in color or shading on the modified three-dimensional model.

16. A method for planning a treatment of a patient, the method comprising:

allowing, using at least one computer system, at least one remote user to access a web site;

displaying, via the web site and using the at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of at least one coronary artery of the patient;

displaying, using the at least one computer system, a first fractional flow reserve for the at least one coronary artery;

modifying, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model based on information regarding an image of a stent positioned on the three-dimensional model; and

displaying, using the at least one computer system, a second fractional flow reserve for the at least one coronary artery, the second fractional flow reserve being based on the modified three-dimensional model.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

receiving, via the web site and using the at least one computer system, the first fractional flow reserve;

transmitting, via the web site and using the at least one computer system, the information regarding the stent image; and

receiving, via the web site and using the at least one computer system, the second information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the three-dimensional model represents at least a portion of a plurality of coronary arteries;

displaying the first fractional flow reserve includes displaying, using the at least one computer system, first fractional flow reserves for more than one of the coronary arteries; and

displaying the second fractional flow reserve includes displaying, using the at least one computer system, second fractional flow reserves for more than one of the coronary arteries.

19. The method of claim 16, further including:

receiving, using the at least one computer system, input from a user regarding a plan to insert the stent in the patient.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the received input includes a location selected by the user for inserting the stent; and

the three-dimensional model is modified by widening at least a portion of the three-dimensional model at the selected location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the received input includes a dimension of the stent; and

the widening of at least the portion of the three-dimensional model is based on the dimension of the stent.

22. A method for planning a treatment of a patient, the method comprising:

receiving, using at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a plurality of coronary arteries emanating from a portion of an aorta;

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

displaying, using the at least one computer system, first fractional flow reserve data for at least some of the plurality of coronary arteries;

displaying, using the at least one computer system, an image of a stent at or near an occlusion in at least one of the plurality of coronary arteries represented in the three-dimensional model;

modifying, using the at least one computer system, the three-dimensional model based on information regarding the stent; and

displaying, using the at least one computer system, second fractional flow reserve data for at least some of the plurality of coronary arteries on the modified three-dimensional model, the second fractional flow reserve data being based on the modified three-dimensional model.

23. The method of claim 22, further including:

receiving, using the at least one computer system, input from a user including at least one of a location or a dimension of the image of the stent.