Method for determining patient-specific blood vessel information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658085-B2
Application number	US-201515506909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining patient-specific blood vessel information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for determining patient-specific cardiovascular information by applying a simplified coronary circulation model thereto. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for determining a blood flow rate for branches of a blood vessel having originated from an artery of each patient. According to the present invention, the method for determining cardiovascular information by using a computer system comprises the steps of: receiving image data including a plurality of coronary arteries having originated from the aorta; processing the image data so as to generate a three-dimensional shape model of the plurality of coronary arteries; simulating a blood flow for the generated three-dimensional shape model of the plurality of coronary arteries; and determining a fractional flow reserve (FFR) of the respective coronary arteries with the blood flow simulation result. In the blood flow simulation step for the three-dimensional shape model of the plurality of coronary arteries, a computational fluid dynamics model is applied to the three-dimensional shape model of the coronary arteries, and a centralized parameter model to be combined with the computational fluid dynamics model uses a simplified coronary circulation model including coronary arteries, capillaries of the coronary arteries, and coronary veins.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining cardiovascular information using a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving image data including a plurality of coronary arteries originating from an aorta;
processing the image data to generate three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries;
simulating a blood flow for the generated three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries; and
determining a fractional flow reserve (FFR) of the coronary arteries based on a blood flow simulation result,
wherein, in the step of simulating the blood flow, a computational fluid dynamics model is applied to the three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries, a lumped parameter model is combined with the computational fluid dynamics model, and a simplified coronary artery circulation model including the coronary arteries, capillaries of the coronary arteries and coronary veins is used as the lumped parameter model,
wherein the step of simulating the blood flow includes
a step of finding lengths of centerlines of the three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries,
resistance values of the capillaries of the coronary arteries are set based on a ratio of blood flow rates in the coronary arteries when combining the simplified coronary artery circulation model with the computational fluid dynamics model, and
the ratio of the blood flow rates in the coronary arteries is set based on a ratio of the lengths of the centerlines of the three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries, and
wherein the ratio of the blood flow rates in the coronary arteries is determined by the following mathematical formula:

Q
LAD

⁢

:

⁢

Q
LCX

⁢

:

⁢

Q
RCA

=

l
LAD

⁢

:

⁢

l
LCX

⁢

:

⁢

1

α

(

l
RCA

)

RV

+

1

(

l
RCA

)

LV

,

where Q LAD is a blood flow rate of a left anterior descending coronary artery, l LAD is a length of the left anterior descending coronary artery, Q LCX is a blood flow rate of a left circumflex coronary artery, l LCX is a length of the left circumflex coronary artery, Q RCA is a blood flow rate of a right coronary artery, l RCA is a length of the right coronary artery, (l RCA ) RV is a length of a portion of the right coronary artery for supplying blood to a right ventricle, is a length of a portion of the right coronary artery for supplying blood to a left ventricle, and α is a correction coefficient of a blood vessel for supplying blood to the right ventricle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step of simulating the blood flow, when applying the computational fluid dynamics model to the three-dimensional shape models of the coronary arteries, an aorta blood pressure pattern is used as an inlet boundary condition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of finding the lengths of the centerlines includes:
a step of finding a centerline of a three-dimensional shape model of each of the coronary arteries;
a step of finding a distal end point where a cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional shape model of each of the coronary arteries is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value; and
a step of finding a length of the centerline from a branched point where each of the coronary arteries is branched from the aorta, to a distal end point thereof.

4. A method for determining blood vessel information of a patient using a computer system, comprising the steps of:
receiving image data including at least a part of blood vessels originating from an aorta;
processing the received image data to generate three-dimensional models of the blood vessels;
finding a length of each of the blood vessels from a branched point to a distal end in a three-dimensional model of each of the blood vessels; and
determining a ratio of blood flow rates in the blood vessels depending on a ratio of the lengths of the blood vessels,
wherein the blood vessels include a right coronary artery (RCA), a left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and a left circumflex coronary artery (LCX), and
in the step of determining the ratio of the blood flow rates, the ratio of the blood flow rates in the blood vessels is determined by the following mathematical formula:

Q
LAD

⁢

:

⁢

Q
LCX

⁢

:

⁢

Q
RCA

=

l
LAD

⁢

:

⁢

l
LCX

⁢

:

⁢

1

α

(

l
RCA

)

RV

+

1

(

l

Assignees

• Knu Industry Cooperation Found
• Knu Ind Coorporation Foundation

Inventors

• Shim Eun Bo

Classifications

• A61B5/02

  Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the cardiovascular system, e.g. pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow · CPC title

• A61B5/02007

  Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance · CPC title

• G16H50/50 Primary

  for simulation or modelling of medical disorders · CPC title

• G16H30/40

  for processing medical images, e.g. editing · CPC title

• A61B6/504

  for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography · CPC title