Systems and methods for processing electronic images to model nutrient transport

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying and modeling unresolved vessels, and the effects thereof, in image-based patient-specific hemodynamic models. One method includes: receiving a patient-specific anatomical model of at least a portion of a visceral vascular system of the patient; receiving patient-specific information related to the patient's food intake; generating a patient-specific model of blood flow in the patient-specific anatomical model of the portion of the visceral vascular system of the patient; generating a patient-specific model of nutrient transport from at least a part of a gastrointestinal system of the patient to the portion of the visceral vascular system of the patient based on the patient-specific information related to the patient's food intake; and determining an indicia of energy available in the patient based on the patient-specific model of nutrient transport.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for processing electronic images to plan treatment of a lesion, the method comprising:
 receiving, in an electronic storage medium, a patient-specific anatomical model of at least a portion of a visceral vascular system of a patient;   identifying one or more lesions in the patient-specific anatomical model suspected of affecting blood flow to at least a part of a gastrointestinal system of the patient;   determining a healthy diameter of a blood vessel lumen at a location of each of the one or more lesions;   generating an anatomical model of a treatment of the one or more lesions using the determined healthy diameter; and   determining and outputting an indicia of an energy available in the patient, based on the treatment of the one or more lesions.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 identifying and outputting at least one of the one or more lesions for which treatment yields a maximum net energy available in the patient.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient comprises:
 receiving, in the electronic storage medium, patient-specific information related to a food intake of the patient;   generating a patient-specific model of blood flow in the anatomical model that represents the treatment of the one or more lesions;   generating a patient-specific model of nutrient transport from at least a part of a gastrointestinal system of the patient to the visceral vascular system of the patient based on the patient-specific information related to the food intake of the patient; and   determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient based on the patient-specific model of nutrient transport.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 simulating blood flow through hepatic and portal blood vessels of the patient based on the patient-specific model of nutrient transport, wherein the blood flow through the hepatic and portal blood vessels transports nutrients, and wherein determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient is based on the simulated blood flow and the patient-specific model of nutrient transport.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving an indicia of a liver function of the patient, wherein determining an indicia of the energy available in the patient is based on the indicia of the liver function of the patient and the patient-specific model of nutrient transport.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein generating the patient-specific model of blood flow in the anatomical model comprises:
 truncating the anatomical model at locations;   applying boundary conditions at the locations to determine blood flow characteristics in the truncated anatomical model; and   generating a patient-specific model of blood flow based on the determined blood flow characteristics in the truncated anatomical model.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein the indicia of energy available includes one or more of: a net energy available in a systemic circulation, a net nutrient available in the systemic circulation, or a net sugar level in the systemic circulation. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein patient-specific information related to the food intake of the patient includes on one or more of:
 a density, an amount, a volume, a mass, a nutritional content, or an acidity of the food intake of the patient; and   temporal and/or environmental information of the food intake by the patient.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , further comprising
 receiving gastrointestinal health information of the patient;   generating the patient-specific model of nutrient transport from the at least the part of the gastrointestinal system of the patient to the visceral vascular system of the patient based on the patient-specific information related to the food intake of the patient and the gastrointestinal health information of the patient; and   determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient based on the patient-specific model of nutrient transport and the gastrointestinal health information of the patient.   
     
     
         30 . The computer implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the gastrointestinal health information includes one or more of:
 an indicia of a peristaltic function of a gastrointestinal tract of the patient;   an estimated membrane channel permeability of the patient; or   an indicia of mesenteric ischemia of the patient.   
     
     
         31 . The computer implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein generating the patient-specific model of nutrient transport from the at least the part of the gastrointestinal system of the patient to the visceral vascular system of the patient includes one or more of:
 modeling a mesenteric flow rate based on one or more of the patient-specific information related to the food intake of the patient and gastrointestinal health information of the patient;   modeling a membrane channel permeability of a vessel; or   modeling a concentration gradient of nutrients between the at least the part of the gastrointestinal system of the patient and a visceral vessels based on one or more of the mesenteric flow rate and the membrane channel permeability.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining a healthy diameter of a blood vessel lumen at a location of each of the one or more lesions comprises:
 determining a diameter at vessel locations that are proximal to or distal to the one or more lesions of the identified one or more lesions.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining a change in a weight or mass of the patient based on the treatment of the identified one or more lesions, whose treatment yields the maximum net energy available in a systemic circulation of the patient.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the change in the weight or mass of the patient is further based on one or more of:
 a metabolic rate and/or metabolic demand of the patient; and   an indicia of insulin resistance of the patient.   
     
     
         35 . A system for processing electronic images to plan treatment of a lesion, the system comprising:
 a data storage device storing instructions for planning treatment of a lesion; and   a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method comprising:
 receiving, in an electronic storage medium, a patient-specific anatomical model of at least a portion of a visceral vascular system of a patient; 
 identifying one or more lesions in the patient-specific anatomical model suspected of affecting blood flow to at least a part of a gastrointestinal system of the patient; 
 determining a healthy diameter of a blood vessel lumen at a location of each of the one or more lesions; 
 generating an anatomical model of a treatment of the one or more lesions using the determined healthy diameter; and 
 determining and outputting an indicia of an energy available in the patient, based on the treatment of the one or more lesions. 
   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 identifying and outputting at least one of the one or more lesions for which treatment yields a maximum net energy available in the patient.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient comprises:
 receiving, in an electronic storage medium, patient-specific information related to a food intake of the patient;   generating a patient-specific model of blood flow in the anatomical model that represents the treatment of the one or more lesions;   generating a patient-specific model of nutrient transport from at least a part of a gastrointestinal system of the patient to the visceral vascular system of the patient based on the patient-specific information related to the food intake of the patient; and   determining the indicia of the energy available in the patient based on the patient-specific model of nutrient transport.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 determining a change in a weight or mass of the patient based on the treatment of the identified one or more lesions, whose treatment yields the maximum net energy available in a systemic circulation of the patient.   
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for a method of processing electronic images to plan treatment of a lesion, the method comprising:
 receiving, in an electronic storage medium, a patient-specific anatomical model of at least a portion of a visceral vascular system of a patient;   identifying one or more lesions in the patient-specific anatomical model suspected of affecting blood flow to at least a part of al gastrointestinal system of the patient;   determining a healthy diameter of a blood vessel lumen at a location of each of the one or more lesions;   generating an anatomical model of a treatment of the one or more lesions using the determined healthy diameter; and   determining and outputting an indicia of an energy available in the patient, based on the treatment of the one or more lesions.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 identifying and outputting at least one of the one or more lesions for which treatment yields a maximum net energy available in the patient.