Blood Vessel Modeling With Flow Energy Comparison for Stenosis Assessment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing hemodynamic significance of coronary stenosis are invasive, require detailed clinical data, and are prone to errors due to individual patient variability and complex cardiovascular physiology, making accurate modeling of blood flow dynamics challenging.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system for modeling blood vessels using non-invasive medical imaging data to generate personalized and reference models, calculating flow energy change indexes (EFR) under standardized conditions, allowing comparison and analysis of blood flow energy changes to determine the hemodynamic significance of stenosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive techniques such as contrast angiography or FFR measurement are used to assess hemodynamic significance, then measurement precision is improved, but patient risk and procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual three-dimensional copy of the patient's coronary artery anatomy using non-invasive CT imaging data. This digital model allows repeated assessment of hemodynamic significance without exposing the patient to additional invasive procedures, contrast agents, or radiation beyond the initial CT scan. The virtual model can be analyzed multiple times to evaluate different stenosis scenarios and treatment options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical measurement systems (catheters, pressure wires, contrast injection) with computational fluid dynamics simulations running on a digital model. The hemodynamic parameters are calculated through software algorithms rather than physical measurement devices, eliminating the need for catheterization and reducing patient risk while maintaining assessment capability.
2Measurement precision
If invasive techniques such as FFR measurement are used to assess hemodynamic significance, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and procedure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual three-dimensional copy of the patient's coronary artery anatomy using non-invasive CT imaging data. This digital model allows repeated assessment of hemodynamic significance without exposing the patient to additional invasive procedures, contrast agents, or radiation beyond the initial CT scan. The virtual model can be analyzed multiple times to evaluate different stenosis scenarios and treatment options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical measurement systems (catheters, pressure wires, contrast injection) with computational fluid dynamics simulations running on a digital model. The hemodynamic parameters are calculated through software algorithms rather than physical measurement devices, eliminating the need for catheterization and reducing procedure complexity.
3Measurement precision
If patient-specific boundary conditions are used in flow modeling, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and data requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary segmentation and reconstruction of the coronary artery geometry from CT imaging data before conducting hemodynamic analysis. This preprocessing step creates a ready-to-use three-dimensional model with defined boundaries and geometry, eliminating the need for complex real-time boundary condition setup during analysis. The model is prepared in advance to accept standard hemodynamic simulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a universal computational framework that can handle various boundary conditions and hemodynamic scenarios using the same three-dimensional model infrastructure. The segmented vascular model serves multiple purposes: anatomical visualization, hemodynamic simulation, treatment planning, and outcome assessment, reducing the need for separate specialized systems for each function.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~2b
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A method for modelling blood vessels, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining medical imaging data of the blood vessels; generating a three-dimensional personalized model of the blood vessels, based on the medical imaging data; generating a three-dimensional reference model of the blood vessels that reflects a state of healthy blood vessels that lack lesions, based on the medical imaging data or based on numerical reconstruction of the personalized model; performing a numerical simulation of blood flow for the same physical and boundary conditions in the personalized model and in the reference model, the simulation comprising determining conditions of blood flow at an inlet to the blood vessels model and calculating blood flow energy for the inlet and all outlets of the blood vessels model; comparing the blood flow energy measured for the personalized model and for the reference model; determining flow energy change indexes of the blood flow in the personalized model and in the reference model.