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

• US 9,168,012 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• 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:
  US14/540,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/9, 703/11, 600/416, 600/419, 600/425, 600/504, 600/508, 600/509, 604/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 computer-implemented method for providing patient-specific blood flow information using at least one computer system, the method comprising:

receiving over an electronic network, at the at least one computer system, one or both of a geometric model and a reduced-order model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of a patient based on patient-specific anatomical data;

generating a display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure;

receiving, at the at least one computer system, a user intervention input corresponding to a user dragging an intervention indicator across a display, to indicate a potential treatment of the anatomical structure;

initiating that a modification of the geometric model or the reduced-order model of the portion of the anatomical structure based on the user intervention input;

modifying a display of the intervention indicator on the display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure, based on the received user intervention input;

calculating, by the at least one computer system, at least one blood flow characteristic based on the received user intervention input and the modification of one or both of the geometric model and the reduced-order model; and

generating, by the at least one computer system, a display of the calculated at least one blood flow characteristic for display with the display of the geometric model and the intervention indicator.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geometric model is a three-dimensional model.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the patient-specific anatomical data includes imaging data of at least a portion of an anatomical structure of a patient.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein at least one value of the at least one blood flow characteristic is dynamically updated upon the user dragging or moving the pin on the display of the geometric model.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the anatomical structure includes at least one of a portion of a plurality of arteries in the patient'"'"'s heart, neck, head, thorax, abdomen, arms, or legs.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one blood flow characteristic is chosen from fractional flow reserve, blood pressure, blood pressure gradient, blood flow, and blood velocity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein the user intervention input is received based on contact or sensed proximity to the display by the user'"'"'s finger(s), the user'"'"'s thumb(s), a stylus, another pointing object or instrument, or a combination thereof.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modification corresponds to placement of a stent or bypass.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user intervention input corresponding to the user dragging an intervention indicator across the display modifies an orientation and/or size of a stent or bypass.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the display of the intervention indicator is performed upon receiving a user dragging or moving a pin on the display of the geometric model to initiate determining a numerical value of the blood flow characteristic at a location of the geometric model to which the pin has been moved.

11. A computer system for providing patient-specific blood flow information for a patient, the computer system configured to:

receive one or both of a geometric model and a reduced-order model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of a patient based on patient-specific anatomical data;

generate a display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure;

receive a user intervention input corresponding to a user dragging an intervention indicator across a display to indicate a potential treatment of the anatomical structure;

initiate a modification of the geometric model or a reduced-order model of a portion of the anatomical structure based on the user intervention input;

modify a display of the intervention indicator on the display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure based on the received user intervention input;

calculate at least one blood flow characteristic based on the received user intervention input and the modification of one or both of the geometric model and the reduced-order model; and

generate a display of the calculated at least one blood flow characteristic for display with the display of the geometric model and the intervention indicator.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the geometric model is a three-dimensional model.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the patient-specific anatomical data includes imaging data of at least a portion of an anatomical structure of a patient.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the computer system configured to modify the display of the intervention indicator upon receiving a user dragging or moving a pin on the geometric model to initiate determining a numerical value of the blood flow characteristic at a location of the geometric model to which the pin has been moved.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the anatomical structure includes at least one of a portion of a plurality of arteries in the patient'"'"'s heart, neck, head, thorax, abdomen, arms, or legs.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the at least one blood flow characteristic is chosen from fractional flow reserve, blood pressure, blood pressure gradient, blood flow, and blood velocity.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the user intervention input is received based on contact or sensed proximity to the display by the user'"'"'s finger(s), the user'"'"'s thumb(s), a stylus, another pointing object or instrument, or a combination thereof.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the modification corresponds to placement of a stent or bypass.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the user intervention input corresponding to the user dragging the intervention indicator across the display modifies an orientation and/or dimension of a stent or bypass.

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

receiving one or both of a geometric model and a reduced-order model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of a patient based on patient-specific anatomical data;

generating a display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure;

receiving a user intervention input corresponding to a user dragging an intervention indicator across a display to indicate a potential treatment of the anatomical structure;

initiating that initiates a modification of the geometric model or a reduced-order model of a portion of the anatomical structure based on the user intervention input;

modifying a display of the intervention indicator on the display of the geometric model representing at least the portion of the anatomical structure based on the received user intervention input;

calculating at least one blood flow characteristic based on the received user intervention input and the modification of one or both of the geometric model and the reduced-order model; and

generating a display of the calculated at least one blood flow characteristic for display with the display of the geometric model and the intervention indicator.