Method and system for patient-specific modeling of blood flow

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.

1 - 184 . (canceled) 
     
     
         185 . A system for determining blood flow information for a patient, the system comprising:
 at least one computer system configured to:
 receive patient-specific imaging data regarding a geometry of the patient's vasculature, including at least a portion of the patient's vasculature beyond the patient's coronary arteries; 
 create a three-dimensional model representing at least the portion of the patient's vasculature based on the patient-specific imaging data; 
 create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of blood flow through the portion of the patient's vasculature; and 
 determine a blood flow characteristic within the patient's vasculature using the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model. 
   
     
     
         186 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein the portion of the patient's vasculature beyond the patient's coronary arteries includes the patient's peripheral vasculature. 
     
     
         187 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein the portion of the patient's vasculature of beyond the patient's coronary arteries includes at least one of a portion of a plurality of arteries in the patient's heart, neck, head, thorax, abdomen, arms, or legs. 
     
     
         188 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein:
 the determined blood flow characteristic includes a ratio between a pressure at a first location in the patient's vasculature and a pressure at a second location in the patient's vasculature upstream of the first location; and   the at least one computer system is configured to determine the determined blood flow characteristic at a plurality of locations in the patient's vasculature.   
     
     
         189 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein the at least one computer system is configured to create the three-dimensional model based on the imaging data by locating boundaries of the patient's vasculature using the imaging data. 
     
     
         190 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein the at least one computer system is configured to locate the boundaries based on changes in intensity values in the imaging data. 
     
     
         191 . The system of  claim 185 , wherein the physics-based model includes at least one lumped parameter model representing a blood flow through boundaries of the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         192 . The system of  claim 191 , wherein the at least one computer system is configured to determine the blood flow characteristic using a parameter associated with at least one of a level of hyperemia, a level of exercise, or a medication. 
     
     
         193 . The system of  claim 192 , wherein the at least one computer system is configured to determine the determined blood flow characteristic using a parameter associated with the level of hyperemia, and the parameter relates to an arterial resistance in the patient's vasculature, an aortic blood pressure of the patient, or a heart rate of the patient. 
     
     
         194 . A method for determining patient-specific blood flow information using at least one computer system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer system, patient-specific imaging data regarding a geometry of the patient's vasculature including at least a portion of the patient's vasculature beyond the patient's coronary arteries;   creating, using the at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model representing at least the portion of the patient's vasculature based on the patient-specific imaging data;   creating, using the at least one computer system, a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of blood flow through the patient's vasculature; and   determining, using the at least one computer system, a blood flow characteristic of blood flow through the patient's vasculature based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.   
     
     
         195 . The method of  claim 194 , further comprising determining a location of a functionally significant narrowing in the patient's vasculature based on the determined blood flow characteristic. 
     
     
         196 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein:
 the determined blood flow characteristic indicates a ratio between a pressure at a first location in the patient's vasculature and a pressure at a second location in the patient's vasculature upstream of the first location; and   the method further comprises determining the determined blood flow characteristic at a plurality of locations in the patient's vasculature.   
     
     
         197 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein the patient-specific imaging data includes imaging data of the patient's vasculature, and creating the three-dimensional model includes locating boundaries of lumens of the patient's vasculature using the imaging data. 
     
     
         198 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein the boundaries are located based on changes in intensity values in the imaging data. 
     
     
         199 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on at least one computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method for determining patient-specific blood flow information, the method comprising:
 receiving patient-specific imaging data regarding a geometry of the patient's vasculature including at least a portion of the patient's peripheral vasculature;   creating a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's vasculature based on the patient-specific imaging data;   creating a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic in the patient's vasculature; and   determining a blood flow characteristic within the patient's vasculature based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.   
     
     
         200 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 199 , wherein:
 the three-dimensional model representing at least the portion of the patient's vasculature includes at least a portion of the patient's peripheral vasculature; and   performing a three-dimensional simulation indicating the determined blood flow characteristic at a plurality of locations in the patient's peripheral vasculature.   
     
     
         201 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 199 , the method further comprising:
 preparing a three-dimensional simulation of the patient's vasculature indicating the determined blood flow characteristic at a plurality of locations in the patient's vasculature.   
     
     
         202 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 201 , wherein the determined blood flow characteristic is indicated on the three-dimensional simulation using colors or shading, and changes in the determined blood flow characteristic are indicated by changes in color or shading. 
     
     
         203 . A system for planning treatment for a patient, the system comprising:
 at least one computer system configured to:
 receive patient-specific imaging data regarding a geometry of an anatomical structure of the patient including the patient's peripheral vasculature including at least a portion of the patient's peripheral vasculature; 
 create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the anatomical structure of the patient based on the patient-specific imaging data; 
 determine first information regarding a blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the three-dimensional model and a physics-based model relating to the anatomical structure of the patient; 
 modify the three-dimensional model; and 
 determine second information regarding the blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure of the patient based on the modified three-dimensional model. 
   
     
     
         204 . The system of  claim 203 , wherein the at least one computer system is further configured to modify the three-dimensional model based on input received from a user, the input including a selection of a plan of treatment for the patient.