Cardiovascular Lumen Apparent Flow Aperture Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for estimating the effective cross-sectional area of tubular cardiovascular structures, such as area planimetry, are insufficiently accurate, leading to overestimation of the aortic valve's effective cross-sectional area and inadequate assessment of blood flow and pressure drop.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a three-dimensional image of the cardiovascular structure to segment the lumen, determine a centerline representing the direction of blood flow, and calculate the apparent flow aperture to obtain a more accurate effective cross-sectional area, which correlates well with Computational Fluid Dynamics-based simulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If area planimetry is used to measure valve opening, then the measurement process is simple, but the accuracy of effective cross-sectional area estimation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional area planimetry to three-dimensional volumetric imaging. By acquiring 3D image data and performing volumetric segmentation of the lumen, the system captures the true spatial geometry of cardiovascular structures, eliminating the geometric distortions inherent in 2D slice-based measurements and providing accurate effective cross-sectional area estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation to divide the 3D image data into distinct anatomical components, specifically segmenting the lumen from surrounding tissues. This segmentation process creates a detailed 3D representation of the blood flow pathway, enabling precise measurement of cross-sectional areas at any location along the cardiovascular structure.
2Measurement precision
If 3D imaging and volumetric segmentation are used to improve measurement accuracy, then the effective cross-sectional area estimation becomes accurate, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs volumetric segmentation and 3D reconstruction as preliminary processing steps before the actual measurement is needed. By pre-processing the 3D image data to create accurate volumetric models of the lumen, the system establishes a detailed spatial framework that can be used for subsequent measurements without requiring complex real-time processing during clinical assessment.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (100) and method are provided for determining an effective cross-sectional area of a tubular cardiovascular structure (400), which may be used in the assessment of blood flow through the tubular cardiovascular structure. Said determining comprises obtaining a three-dimensional image of the tubular cardiovascular structure, segmenting the image to obtain a segmentation of the lumen inside the tubular cardiovascular structure, and determining a centerline (430) of the tubular cardiovascular structure. Then, using the segmentation of the lumen, an apparent flow aperture of the tubular cardiovascular structure is determined in the direction of the centerline, e.g., by projecting the segmentation along the direction of the centerline and determining the area in the projection which is free of projected parts. In contrast to area planimetry, the apparent flow aperture does not overestimate the effective cross-sectional area of the tubular cardiovascular structure, and thus may be used to provide a better estimate of the effective cross-sectional area of said cardiovascular structure.