Non-invasive Cardiac Pressure Determination via Free Vibration Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for measuring heart and pulmonary pressures are invasive, costly, and risky, and existing non-invasive techniques lack a theoretical basis, making it difficult to accurately determine left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), right ventricular pressure, and pulmonary pressure.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive method using patient-specific medical imaging, such as MRI or echocardiography, to generate images of the heart, determine free vibration measurements, and perform computations to calculate targeted pressures like LVEDP, RV pressure, and pulmonary pressure based on mechanical laws, using numerical optimization and iterative solutions to match predicted positions with measured positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive catheterization is used to obtain direct pressure measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but patient safety and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical catheterization with a non-invasive computational model based on mechanics. The system uses patient-specific anatomical data from imaging (CT/MRI) combined with mechanical laws to calculate pressures, eliminating the need for physical catheter insertion while maintaining measurement accuracy through physics-based simulations of blood flow and vessel mechanics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the patient's cardiovascular system using 3D reconstructions from medical imaging. This digital twin allows for accurate pressure measurements to be obtained through computational analysis of the copied anatomy, avoiding the need for physical invasion of the actual patient's vessels while preserving all relevant geometric and mechanical characteristics.
2Measurement precision
If invasive catheterization is used to obtain direct pressure measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal computational framework that can determine multiple pressure parameters (aortic pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, ventricular pressures, etc.) from a single set of patient-specific anatomical data. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate invasive procedures for each pressure measurement, reducing overall procedural complexity while providing comprehensive hemodynamic assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by acquiring complete patient-specific anatomical data through imaging modalities (CT or MRI) before the diagnostic assessment. These pre-acquired 3D models serve as the foundation for all subsequent pressure calculations, eliminating the need for invasive catheterization during the actual diagnostic procedure and streamlining the overall process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If empirical estimation methods are used for non-invasive pressure determination, then patient safety is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from empirical parameter estimation to physics-based parameter calculation. Instead of using population-based empirical relationships, the system calculates pressure values by solving mechanical equilibrium equations with patient-specific anatomical parameters, fundamentally changing the basis of measurement from statistical approximation to deterministic physics-based computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces empirical estimation methods with mechanics-based computational models. The system uses fundamental laws of fluid mechanics and solid mechanics to calculate pressures from anatomical measurements, substituting statistical empirical relationships with deterministic physics-based calculations that provide both safety and accuracy.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional non-invasive techniques are used, then patient safety is improved, but the ability to determine specific pressures (LVEDP, RV pressure, pulmonary pressure) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal computational model that can determine all major cardiovascular pressures (aortic, pulmonary artery, left ventricular, right ventricular, and atrial pressures) from a single patient-specific anatomical dataset. This multi-functional capability ensures complete pressure data acquisition without invasive procedures, maintaining patient safety while eliminating information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cardiovascular system into distinct anatomical regions (aorta, pulmonary artery, ventricles, atria) and applies mechanics-based calculations to each segment using patient-specific geometric data. This segmentation approach allows for accurate determination of pressures in each specific chamber and vessel while maintaining the unified non-invasive framework.
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
Enables accurate and non-invasive determination of heart and pulmonary pressures, reducing the risks associated with invasive procedures and providing a theoretical foundation for measurements, improving diagnostic capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
determining a free vibration measurement from a free wall of a left ventricle of the heart in the patient-specific medical image
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure of the present application provides methods for the noninvasive determination of cardiac and pulmonary pressures based off of patient-specific medical images and one or more computations. In one exemplary embodiment, the method comprises noninvasively generating a patient-specific medical image of at least a portion of a heart, determining a free vibration measurement from the left ventricular free wall based on the patient-specific image, and performing at least one computation using the free vibration measurement to noninvasively determine a cardiac or pulmonary pressure.