Blood Flow Index Simulation for Stent Treatment Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing and predicting the therapeutic effects of treatments for circulatory disorders, such as ischemic heart disease, lack the ability to accurately simulate the impact of interventions like stenting on blood flow dynamics before actual treatment is performed, limiting pre-treatment assessment of effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that performs fluid analysis on three-dimensional CT image data of blood vessels, calculates index values related to blood flow, and simulates changes in analysis conditions to predict the effects of treatments like stenting by altering parameters such as pressure, cross-sectional area, and stent placement, allowing for comparative evaluation of treatment outcomes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If actual treatment is performed to evaluate therapeutic effects, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to inability to predict outcomes beforehand
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary fluid analysis and simulation of treatment effects before actual treatment is administered. By calculating blood flow indices and simulating stent placement or other interventions in advance, the system enables prediction of therapeutic outcomes, thereby reducing the need for repeated post-treatment assessments and accelerating the overall evaluation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the blood vessel geometry from medical images and performs simulated treatments on this digital model. By analyzing blood flow characteristics in the virtual model under different treatment conditions, the system predicts therapeutic effects without requiring actual intervention, thus saving time while maintaining evaluation accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If complex fluid analysis is performed to accurately simulate treatment effects, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and processing load worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential geometric features of the blood vessel from medical images, creating a simplified three-dimensional model that retains the critical characteristics needed for fluid analysis. By removing unnecessary details while preserving hemodynamically relevant geometry, the system reduces computational complexity while maintaining sufficient accuracy for treatment effect prediction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts analysis parameters such as blood viscosity, flow rate, and boundary conditions based on the specific clinical case and treatment scenario. By optimizing these parameters for each situation rather than using fixed complex models, the system achieves accurate results with reduced computational burden.
3Measurement precision
If detailed three-dimensional modeling is performed to maintain accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but processing time and computational load worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs fluid analysis and treatment simulation only in the critical regions of the blood vessel where treatment effects are most significant, rather than analyzing the entire vascular tree in detail. By focusing computational resources on the relevant segments, the system maintains accuracy where it matters most while significantly reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry performs a fluid analysis using image data including a blood vessel to calculate an index value relating to blood flow in the blood vessel. The processing circuitry specifies a plurality of target sites in the blood vessel in the image data. The processing circuitry changes analysis conditions for the fluid analysis corresponding to the positions of the target sites. The processing circuitry causes a display to display, in a comparative manner, the index value relating to blood flow calculated under the changed analysis conditions for the target sites.