Vascular analysis methods and apparatus

Abstract

According to some aspects, a method of identifying a boundary of a portion of a vasculature is provided, the vasculature comprising a geometric representation of a plurality of vessels. The method comprises logically dividing the geometric representation into a plurality of regions, determining at least one feature within each of the plurality of regions, and defining the boundary of the portion of the vasculature based, at least in part, on the at least one feature determined within each of the plurality of regions, wherein the boundary forms a volume defining a separation between inside and outside of the portion of the vasculature. According to some aspects, a method of performing vascular analysis using a geometric representation of a plurality of vessels of the vasculature is provided. The method comprises computing a boundary of a portion of the vasculature based on the geometric representation, logically dividing the geometric representation within the boundary into a plurality of regions, and analyzing at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions within the boundary.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of performing vascular analysis using a geometric representation of a plurality of vessels of the vasculature, the method comprising:
 computing a boundary of a portion of the vasculature based on the geometric representation;   logically dividing the geometric representation within the boundary into a plurality of regions; and   analyzing at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions within the boundary.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein logically dividing the geometric representation includes defining a plurality of shells, each of the plurality of shells defining a respective range of distances from the boundary and including within each location within the boundary having a distance from the boundary within the respective range of the corresponding shell. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising performing at least one evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one evaluation includes performing at least one density evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one density evaluation includes at least one evaluation based on vessel density and/or branch density. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one evaluation includes evaluating vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein analyzing at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions includes determining at least one value for the at least one feature and comparing the at least one value to a designated criteria. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of a density of the at least one feature. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one value indicative of a density includes at least one value indicative of a vessel density and/or at least one value indicative of branch density. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length for each of the plurality of regions. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the portion of the vasculature includes tumor vasculature, organ vasculature or vasculature of a region of an organ. 
     
     
         42 . At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, performs a method of performing vascular analysis using a geometric representation of a plurality of vessels of the vasculature, the method comprising:
 computing a boundary of a portion of the vasculature based on the geometric representation;   logically dividing the geometric representation within the boundary into a plurality of regions; and   analyzing at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions within the boundary.   
     
     
         43 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 42 , wherein logically dividing the geometric representation includes defining a plurality of shells, each of the plurality of shells defining a respective range of distances from the boundary and including within each location within the boundary having a distance from the boundary within the respective range of the corresponding shell. 
     
     
         44 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 43 , further comprising performing at least one evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         45 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 44 , wherein the at least one evaluation includes performing at least one density evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         46 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 45 , wherein the at least one density evaluation includes at least one evaluation based on vessel density and/or branch density. 
     
     
         47 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one evaluation includes evaluating vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length. 
     
     
         48 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 42 , wherein analyzing at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions includes determining at least one value for the at least one feature and comparing the at least one value to a designated criteria. 
     
     
         49 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 48 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of a density of the at least one feature. 
     
     
         50 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 49 , wherein the at least one value indicative of a density includes at least one value indicative of a vessel density and/or at least one value indicative of branch density. 
     
     
         51 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 48 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length for each of the plurality of regions. 
     
     
         52 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 42 , wherein the portion of the vasculature includes tumor vasculature, organ vasculature or vasculature of a region of an organ. 
     
     
         53 . An apparatus for performing vascular analysis using a geometric representation of a plurality of vessels of the vasculature, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one storage medium for storing the geometric representation; and   at least one computer capable of accessing the at least one storage medium to process the geometric representation, the at least one computer programmed to:
 compute a boundary of a portion of the vasculature based on the geometric representation; 
 logically divide the geometric representation within the boundary into a plurality of regions; and 
 analyze at least one feature for each of the plurality of regions within the boundary. 
   
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one computer is programmed to define a plurality of shells, each of the plurality of shells defining a respective range of distances from the boundary and including each location within the boundary having a distance from the boundary within the respective range of the corresponding shell. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein the at least one computer is programmed to perform at least one evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein the at least one computer is programmed to perform at least one density evaluation of the at least one feature for each of the plurality of shells. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein the at least one density evaluation includes at least one evaluation based on vessel density and/or branch density. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , wherein the at least one computer is programmed to evaluate vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one computer is programmed to determine at least one value for the at least one feature and compare the at least one value to a designated criteria. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 59 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of a density of the at least one feature. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 60 , wherein the at least one value indicative of a density includes at least one value indicative of a vessel density and/or at least one value indicative of branch density. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 59 , wherein the at least one value includes at least one value indicative of vessel curvature, vessel tortuosity, vessel orientation and/or vessel length for each of the plurality of regions. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the portion of the vasculature includes tumor vasculature, organ vasculature or vasculature of a region of an organ. 
     
     
         64 .- 101 . (canceled)