Method and system for image processing to determine blood flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018071027-A1
Application number	US-201715812329-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 12, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

1 - 184 . (canceled)

185 . A medical image diagnostic apparatus for processing medical images, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to acquire data of a plurality of Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) distribution maps comprising at least two time phases regarding a coronary artery; and a display configured to display a representation of the at least one FFR distribution map in phase to the at least one FFR distribution map, wherein the processing circuitry restricts display objects displayed by the display for the representation of the at least one FFR distribution map based on the at least one FFR distribution map.

186 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 185 , wherein the processing circuitry acquires data of a plurality of morphological images comprising the at least two time phases, and converts the at least one FFR distribution map into a at least one corresponding color map, respectively, and the display displays a plurality of superimposed images, as the representation of the at least one FFR distribution map, obtained by superposing the at least one color map and the plurality of morphological images respectively corresponding in phase.

187 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry restricts display objects displayed by the display for the at least one color map based on the plurality of morphological images.

188 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 185 , wherein the processing circuitry sets, as display objects, ranges specified from the at least one FFR distribution map based on an FFR value.

189 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry includes, from the plurality of morphological images, at least one of an stenosis position of the coronary artery, a blood vessel branch position, and a position of a blood vessel having not less than a predetermined width, and the processing circuitry sets, as display objects, ranges respectively specified from the at least one color map based on at least one of the stenosis position, the blood vessel branch position, and the position of the blood vessel having not less than the predetermined width.

190 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the at least two time phases are included in one cycle of heart beats, and the display displays at least two superimposed images obtained by superposing the at least one color map and the plurality of morphological images.

191 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry associates data of a plurality of colors respectively with a plurality of FFR values defined by upper limit values and lower limit values of FFR values included in the at least one FFR distribution map, and the processing circuitry converts the at least one FFR distribution map into at least one corresponding color map based on the associations.

192 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry generates associated data of a plurality of colors respectively with a plurality of FFR values defined by upper limit values and lower limit values of FFR values included in display objects for the at least one color map, and the processing circuitry converts the at least one FFR distribution map into at least one corresponding color map based on the associations.

193 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry generates a plurality of functional images comprising the at least two time phases regarding the cardiac muscle, and the display displays the plurality of superimposed images on the plurality of corresponding functional images by position matching, respectively.

194 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 193 , wherein the functional image include a myocardial perfusion image.

195 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 186 , wherein the processing circuitry acquires data of a plurality of functional images comprising the at least two time phases regarding a cardiac muscle to which the coronary artery supplies blood, and the display displays the plurality of superimposed images on the plurality of corresponding functional images by position matching, respectively.

196 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 195 , wherein the functional images include a myocardial perfusion image.

197 . A medical image diagnostic apparatus for processing medical images, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to acquire data of a Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) distribution map regarding a coronary artery, and data of a morphological image regarding the coronary artery, convert the at least one FFR distribution map into a corresponding color map which represents an FFR value by color in an area including at least a part of the coronary artery, and generate a superimposed images obtained by superposing the at least one color map and the morphological images respectively corresponding in position, wherein the color map does not show the color in a predetermined restricted area in the coronary artery.

198 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the restricted area is set based on a vascular diameter of the coronary artery.

199 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the restricted area is set based on an area of a coronary artery of which a vascular diameter has a predetermined width or less.

200 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the processing circuitry acquires data of at least one FFR distribution map comprising at least two time phases regarding a coronary artery, and data of a plurality of morphological images comprising the at least two time phases regarding the coronary artery.

201 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the processing circuitry generates correspondence data that associates data of a plurality of colors respectively with a plurality of FFR values defined by upper limit values and lower limit values of FFR values included in the at least one FFR distribution map, and the processing circuitry converts the at least one FFR distribution map into at least one corresponding color map based on the correspondence data, respectively.

202 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the processing circuitry generates correspondence data that associates data of a plurality of colors respectively with a plurality of FFR values defined by upper limit values and lower limit values of FFR values included in the restricted area for the at least one color map, and the processing circuitry converts the at least one FFR distribution map into at least one corresponding color map based on the correspondence data, respectively.

203 . The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 197 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to acquire data of a plurality of functional images comprising the at least two time phases regarding a cardiac muscle to which the coronary artery supplies blood, and generate the plurality of superimposed images on the plurality of corresponding functional images by position matching, respectively.

204 . A method for processing medical images using a medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:
acquiring data of a plurality of Fractional Flo

Assignees

• Heartflow Inc

Inventors

• Taylor Charles A

Classifications

• G06T12/30

  Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction · CPC title

• G06T11/10

  Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) · CPC title

• G16H30/20

  for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS · CPC title

• G16H70/00

  ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title