Method and system for providing information from a patient-specific model of blood flow

• US 8,855,984 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Original Assignee: Heartflow Inc.
• Inventors: Hart, Gregory R., Stevens, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US14/267,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 159 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/9, 703/11, 600/416, 600/419, 600/508, 600/509, 600/504, 600/425, 604/8
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/104 Modelling the effect of the tool, e.g. the effect of an implanted prosthesis or for predicting the effect of ablation or burring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/023 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0263 using NMR
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/748 Selection of a region of interest, e.g. using a graphics tablet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/466 adapted to display 3D data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 : Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 : Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 : Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 : 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 : Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 : Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 : involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 : involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 : Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 : Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 5/00 : ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 : for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Embodiments include a system for providing blood flow information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system including a touchscreen. The at least one computer system may be configured to display, on the touchscreen, a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient based on patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may also be configured to receive a first input relating to a first location on the touchscreen indicated by at least one pointing object controlled by a user, and the first location on the touchscreen may indicate a first location on the displayed three-dimensional model. The at least one computer system may be further configured to display first information on the touchscreen, and the first information may indicate a blood flow characteristic at the first location.

Claims

1. A method for providing patient-specific blood flow information using at least one computer system with at least one processor, the at least one computer system including a touchscreen, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a three-dimensional model based on patient-specific data, the three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient;

receiving, from a user, an input relating to a location on the touchscreen, the input indicating a modification of the three-dimensional model and causing the computer system to generate a display of an intervention at a location of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the location on the touchscreen;

determining and displaying information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure based on the modification of the three-dimensional model; and

enabling the user to interact with the touchscreen to move the displayed intervention along a vessel to update the determined and displayed information regarding the blood flow characteristic based on further modification of the three-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input relates to the location on the touchscreen indicated by at least one pointing object controlled by the user, the location on the touchscreen indicating a location in the three-dimensional model for the modification.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the displayed information as the user modifies the location on the touchscreen and on the displayed three-dimensional model.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a pin at the location, the pin being movable by the user within the three-dimensional model; and

updating, on the touchscreen, the information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure as the pin is moved by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure at a plurality of locations in the three-dimensional model and indicating the information on the displayed three-dimensional model using at least one of shading, patterns, or coloring.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the displayed three-dimensional model in response to the user swiping a surface of the touchscreen, an amount and direction of rotation depending on a characteristic of the swipe.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a zoom on the displayed three-dimensional model in response to the user pinching two of a plurality of pointing objects located at separate locations with respect to the touchscreen, an amount of the zoom depending on a characteristic of the pinch.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification corresponds to placement of a stent, and the processor is configured to display the stent as the intervention.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating a size of the stent or a change in location or change in size of the stent.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a split screen including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displaying the three-dimensional model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure and the stent, and the second portion displaying the three-dimensional model after placement of the stent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification corresponds to a formation of a bypass, and the processor is further configured to display the bypass as the intervention.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an input indicating at least one location for connecting the bypass to the displayed three-dimensional model, and an input indicating a change in location or a change in size of the bypass.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a split screen including a first portion and a second portion, the two portions being configured to receive different inputs indicating different modifications of the respective displayed three-dimensional models.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input includes receiving the input from at least one pointing object controlled by the user, and the at least one pointing object includes at least one digit of the user or a stylus.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of pressure gradient, fractional flow reserve, pressure, flow rate, and velocity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical structure of the patient includes at least a portion of an aorta and at least a portion of a plurality of coronary arteries emanating from the portion of the aorta.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information includes a fractional flow reserve indicating a ratio between a pressure at a location in the plurality of coronary arteries and a pressure at a location upstream from the location in the plurality of coronary arteries.

18. The method of claim 1, 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.

19. A system for providing patient-specific blood flow information for a patient, the system comprising:

a display device including a touchscreen and being configured to display a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient based on patient-specific data; and

a processor configured to;

(i) receive, from a user, an input relating to a location on the touchscreen, the input causing a modification of the three-dimensional model, (ii) generate a display of an intervention at a location of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the location on the touchscreen, (iii) determine and display information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure based on the modification of the three-dimensional model, and (iv) enable the user to interact with the touchscreen to move the displayed intervention along a vessel to update the determined and displayed information regarding the blood flow characteristic based on further modification of the three-dimensional model.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to update the displayed information as the user modifies the location on the touchscreen and on the displayed three-dimensional model.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

form a pin at the location, the pin being movable by the user within the three-dimensional model; and

update, on the touchscreen, the information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure as the pin is moved by the user.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure at a plurality of locations in the three-dimensional model and indicate the information on the displayed three-dimensional model using at least one of shading, patterns, or coloring.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to rotate the displayed three-dimensional model in response to the user swiping a surface of the touchscreen, an amount and direction of rotation depending on a characteristic of the swipe.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a zoom on the displayed three-dimensional model in response to the user pinching two of the at least one pointing objects located at separate locations with respect to the touchscreen, an amount of the zoom depending on a characteristic of the pinch.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the modification corresponds to placement of a stent, and the processor is further configured to display the stent as the intervention, and receive an input indicating a size of the stent, or a change in location or change in size of the intervention.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the modification corresponds to a formation of a bypass, and the processor is further configured to display the bypass as the intervention, and to receive an input indicating at least one location for connecting the bypass to the displayed three-dimensional model, or indicating a change in location or a change in size of the bypass.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a split screen including a first portion and a second portion, the two portions being configured to receive different inputs indicating different modifications of the respective displayed three-dimensional models.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the information includes at least one of pressure gradient, fractional flow reserve, pressure, flow rate, and velocity;

and

wherein the anatomical structure of the patient includes at least a portion of an aorta and at least a portion of a plurality of coronary arteries emanating from the portion of the aorta.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on at least one touchscreen computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for providing patient-specific blood flow information, the instructions being executable by the at least one touchscreen computer system for:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a three-dimensional model based on patient-specific data, the three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient;

receiving, from a user, an input relating to a location on the touchscreen, the input indicating a modification of the three-dimensional model and causing the computer system to generate a display of an intervention at a location of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the location on the touchscreen;

determining and displaying information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure based on the modification of the three-dimensional model; and

enabling the user to interact with the touchscreen to move the displayed intervention along a vessel to update the determined and displayed information regarding the blood flow characteristic based on further modification of the three-dimensional model.

30. A method for providing patient-specific blood flow information using at least one computer system, the at least one computer system including a touchscreen, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touchscreen, a three-dimensional model based on patient-specific data, the three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient;

receiving, from a user, a first input relating to a first location on the touchscreen indicated by a user, the first location on the touchscreen indicating a first location in the displayed three-dimensional model;

displaying first information on the touchscreen, the first information indicating a blood flow characteristic at the first location in the three-dimensional model indicated by the first input;

receiving, from the user, a second input relating to a second location on the touchscreen, the second input indicating a modification of the three-dimensional model and causing the computer system to generate a display of an intervention at a location of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the second location on the touchscreen;

displaying second information regarding the blood flow characteristic in the anatomical structure based on the modification of the three-dimensional model; and

enabling the user to interact with the touchscreen to move the displayed intervention along a vessel to update the displayed second information regarding the blood flow characteristic based on further modification of the three-dimensional model.