Systems and methods for revascularization assessment

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for revascularization assessment. The methods can in some cases include one or more of the steps of measuring blood perfusion as a function of time to obtain time series data, mathematically transforming the time series data into a power spectrum, calculating at least one parameter of the power spectrum within a specific frequency range, and using the at least one calculated parameter as a discriminator for the first population and the second population.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for discriminating between at least a first population and a second population, the method comprising:
 measuring blood perfusion as a function of time to obtain time series data;   mathematically transforming the time series data into a power spectrum;   calculating at least one parameter of the power spectrum within a specific frequency range; and   using the at least one calculated parameter as a discriminator for the first population and the second population.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least the first population and the second population comprise two patient populations. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first population comprises a healthy control group and the second population comprises an ischemic population. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein measuring blood perfusion as a function of time comprises using an optical measurement method. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the optical method is diffuse correlation spectroscopy. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the optical method is diffuse speckle contrast analysis. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the optical method is diffuse optical tomography. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the optical method is near-infrared spectroscopy. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the optical method is laser Doppler flowmetry. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein measuring blood perfusion as a function of time comprises using a non-optical measurement method. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-optical measurement method is selected from the group consisting of an electrical measurement method and a magnetic measurement method. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein measuring blood perfusion as a function of time comprises using an electrical or magnetic measurement method. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein mathematically transforming the time series data into a power spectrum comprises using a Fourier transform. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein mathematically transforming the time series data into a power spectrum comprises using a fast Fourier Transform. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein mathematically transforming the time series data into a power spectrum comprises using a wavelet transform. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specific frequency range is between about 0.001 Hz and about 1000 Hz. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specific frequency range is between about 0.001 Hz and about 0.1 Hz. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specific frequency range is between about 0.045 Hz and about 0.1 Hz. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frequency range of interest is between 0.001 Hz and 0.045 Hz. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter is the area under the curve of the power spectrum within the specific frequency range.