Personalized Bioheat Transfer Estimation Using Patient-Specific Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods struggle to accurately predict and model bioheat transfer in individuals due to its complexity, which affects the evaluation and planning of temperature-related treatments and therapies, as heat transfer is influenced by various factors including blood flow, tissue, and external environments, and individuals vary in their temperature regulation abilities.
Innovation Solution
The development of systems and methods that utilize patient-specific vascular and tissue models to estimate heat distribution by receiving and processing patient-specific data, including vascular models, tissue models, and heat content estimates, to provide personalized bioheat transfer estimates, which can be outputted for storage or display, enabling more effective temperature-related treatment planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If personalized patient-specific models are used to improve bioheat transfer estimation accuracy, then measurement precision and reliability improve, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex bioheat transfer problem into distinct computational modules: a vascular model component that processes patient-specific anatomy, a tissue model component that handles thermal properties, and a heat transfer solver that integrates these models. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while maintaining overall accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces computational models as intermediary representations between actual patient measurements and treatment predictions. These models serve as virtual proxies that can be manipulated computationally without requiring direct physical experimentation on patients, thereby improving precision while managing complexity through simulation rather than direct measurement.
2Measurement precision
If personalized patient-specific models are used to improve bioheat transfer estimation accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual copies of patient-specific anatomy through computational models that replicate vascular structures and tissue properties. These digital twins allow for repeated measurement and analysis without additional physical intervention on the patient, making the measurement process easier while maintaining high precision through personalized modeling.
3Reliability
If complex vascular and tissue models are integrated to provide personalized estimates, then reliability of treatment evaluation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vascular model and tissue model into an integrated computational framework that simultaneously considers blood flow dynamics and thermal conduction. This unified approach improves reliability by capturing the coupled nature of bioheat transfer, while the modular architecture of the merger keeps complexity manageable through standardized interfaces between components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for personalized and accurate assessments of bioheat transfer, improving the evaluation of temperature-related treatments and aiding in the design of new therapies by modeling heat distribution based on individual anatomy and physiological states, enhancing treatment efficacy and safety.
Implementation Method 1
heat diffusion through multiple different materials (e.g., tissue, fluid, bone)
Implementation Method 2
the convection of the vascular system
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing personalized estimates of bioheat transfer through a patient's body or a portion of a patient's body. One method includes receiving a patient-specific vascular model of a patient's anatomy, including at least one vessel of the patient; receiving a patient-specific tissue model including at least a portion of tissue of the patient's anatomy; receiving an estimate of heat content of the portion of tissue of the patient-specific tissue model or tissue surrounding the portion of tissue; determining an estimate of heat distribution of the portion of tissue of the patient-specific tissue model or tissue surrounding the portion of tissue based on the vascular model, the tissue model, or the received estimate of heat content; and output the determined estimate of heat distribution to a storage medium or user display.