Methods and systems for assessing image quality in modeling of patient anatomic or blood flow characteristics

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for assessing the quality of medical images of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, using a computer system. One method includes receiving one or more images of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy; determining, using a processor of the computer system, one or more image properties of the received images; performing, using a processor of the computer system, anatomic localization or modeling of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy based on the received images; obtaining an identification of one or more image characteristics associated with an anatomic feature of the patient's anatomy based on the anatomic localization or modeling; and calculating, using a processor of the computer system, an image quality score based on the one or more image properties and the one or more image characteristics.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for assessing a quality of a medical image of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, comprising:
 receiving, via at least one processor, one or more images of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy;   determining, via the at least one processor, an identification of one or more image characteristics of the one or more received images, where the one or more image characteristics are associated with one or more non-anatomical features or metadata of the one or more images; and   generating, via the at least one processor, an assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation based on the one or more image characteristics.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more non-anatomical features are selected from a group consisting of a presence of an image artifact, an energy-tissue interaction characteristic of an acquisition of the one or more images, relative motion or position between different images in the one or more images, a reconstruction algorithm used to generate the one or more images, data indicative of a hardware failure during image acquisition, a sensitivity of a detector used for image acquisition, a local contrast level, a local noise level, a presence of a mis-registration or misalignment, a local motion anomaly, a local blurring anomaly, a partial volume effect, or a blooming effect. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the patient-specific medical simulation includes a simulation of one or more of coronary blood flow, velocity, pressure, plaque and wall stress, or fractional flow reserve (FFR). 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining one or more image properties of the received one or more images, wherein the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images is further based on the determined one or more image properties.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more image properties include one or more of: a spatial or temporal resolution of the one or more images, a medical anatomy slice thickness, a number of scanner slices, a medication or contrast agent parameter, or a patient characteristic. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation includes a determination of an effect of the image quality of the received one or more images on one or more of computation time or accuracy of one or more of modeling or simulation results relative to a baseline. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation is below a predetermined threshold, obtaining one or more supplemental images of the patient's anatomy.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more supplemental images are sourced from one or more of a prior acquisition or of a different modality of acquisition, relative to the received one or more images. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 selecting one of a plurality of different simulation techniques based on the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation.   
     
     
         30 . A system for assessing a quality of a medical image of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, comprising:
 at least one memory storing instructions; and   at least one processor operatively connected to the at least one memory, and configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, comprising:
 receiving one or more images of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy; 
 determining an identification of one or more image characteristics of the one or more received images, where the one or more image characteristics are associated with one or more non-anatomical features or metadata of the one or more images; and
 generating, via the at least one processor, an assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation based on the one or more image characteristics. 
 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more non-anatomical features are selected from a group consisting of a presence of an image artifact, an energy-tissue interaction characteristic of an acquisition of the one or more images, relative motion or position between different images in the one or more images, a reconstruction algorithm used to generate the one or more images, data indicative of a hardware failure during image acquisition, a sensitivity of a detector used for image acquisition, a local contrast level, a local noise level, a presence of a mis-registration or misalignment, a local motion anomaly, a local blurring anomaly, a partial volume effect, or a blooming effect. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the patient-specific medical simulation includes a simulation of one or more of coronary blood flow, velocity, pressure, plaque and wall stress, or fractional flow reserve (FFR). 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the operations further include determining one or more image properties of the received one or more images, wherein the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images is further based on the determined one or more image properties; and   the one or more image properties include one or more of: a spatial or temporal resolution of the one or more images, a medical anatomy slice thickness, a number of scanner slices, a medication or contrast agent parameter, or a patient characteristic.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation includes a determination of an effect of the image quality of the received one or more images on one or more of computation time or accuracy of one or more of modeling or simulation results relative to a baseline. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the operations further include, in response to determining that the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation is below a predetermined threshold, obtaining one or more supplemental images of the patient's anatomy; and   the one or more supplemental images are sourced from one or more of a prior acquisition or of a different modality of acquisition, relative to the received one or more images.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 selecting one of a plurality of different simulation techniques based on the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation.   
     
     
         37 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for assessing a quality of a medical image of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, the instructions executable by at least one processor to perform operations, including:
 receiving, via the at least one processor, one or more images of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy;   determining, via the at least one processor, an identification of one or more image characteristics of the one or more received images, where the one or more image characteristics are associated with one or more non-anatomical features or metadata of the one or more images; and   generating, via the at least one processor, an assessment of suitability of the received one or more images for patient-specific medical simulation based on the one or more image characteristics.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more non-anatomical features are selected from a group consisting of a presence of an image artifact, an energy-tissue interaction characteristic of an acquisition of the one or more images, relative motion or position between different images in the one or more images, a reconstruction algorithm used to generate the one or more images, data indicative of a hardware failure during image acquisition, a sensitivity of a detector used for image acquisition, a local contrast level, a local noise level, a presence of a mis-registration or misalignment, a local motion anomaly, a local blurring anomaly, a partial volume effect, or a blooming effect. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the patient-specific medical simulation includes a simulation of one or more of coronary blood flow, velocity, pressure, plaque and wall stress, or fractional flow reserve (FFR). 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the operations further include determining one or more image properties of the received one or more images, wherein the assessment of suitability of the received one or more images is further based on the determined one or more image properties; and   the one or more image properties include one or more of: a spatial or temporal resolution of the one or more images, a medical anatomy slice thickness, a number of scanner slices, a medication or contrast agent parameter, or a patient characteristic.