Multi-Resolution 3D Mesh for Coronary Blood Flow Simulation

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for modeling physiological characteristics, such as coronary artery blood flows and pressures, face challenges in achieving accuracy while being practical in terms of computing power and time, as overly detailed models require excessive resources and time to generate.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that create a three-dimensional combined surface and volume mesh model with varying spatial resolution, allowing for high-resolution areas of complex blood flow patterns and low-resolution areas of simpler patterns, which is input into a fluid simulation system to determine physiological characteristics like fractional flow reserve.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If highly detailed three-dimensional models are created to accurately model coronary artery blood flows and pressures, then measurement precision is improved, but computing power requirements and time consumption increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysiological characteristic measurement accuracyVSAvoidcomputing power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-resolution mesh model where different regions of the coronary artery model have different spatial resolutions. High-resolution mesh is applied to regions with complex blood flow patterns (such as stenotic areas) to ensure accurate physiological measurements, while low-resolution mesh is used in regions with simpler flow patterns to reduce overall computing power requirements and simulation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If highly detailed three-dimensional models are created to accurately model coronary artery blood flows and pressures, then measurement precision is improved, but computation time increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysiological characteristic measurement accuracyVSAvoidmodel creation and simulation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-resolution mesh model where different regions of the coronary artery model have different spatial resolutions. High-resolution mesh is applied to regions with complex blood flow patterns (such as stenotic areas) to ensure accurate physiological measurements, while low-resolution mesh is used in regions with simpler flow patterns to reduce overall computing power requirements and simulation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If uniform high-resolution mesh is used throughout the model to ensure accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and computing resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephysiological characteristic measurement accuracyVSAvoidmodel complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-resolution mesh model where different regions of the coronary artery model have different spatial resolutions. High-resolution mesh is applied to regions with complex blood flow patterns (such as stenotic areas) to ensure accurate physiological measurements, while low-resolution mesh is used in regions with simpler flow patterns to reduce overall computing power requirements and simulation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by implementing an adaptive mesh refinement process that dynamically adjusts the spatial resolution of different model regions based on local flow complexity characteristics. The system automatically identifies regions requiring high resolution and applies appropriate mesh density, allowing the model complexity to adapt to the actual physiological requirements rather than using uniform high resolution throughout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10622092B2Method and system for facilitating physiological computations

Publication Date: 2020.04.14 HEARTFLOW INC

AI summary

A system for noninvasively determining at least one physiological characteristic of a patient may include at least one computer system configured to, using a three-dimensional surface mesh model created using patient-specific imaging data, create a three-dimensional combined surface and volume mesh model, including at least a first model portion that has a different spatial resolution than at least a second model portion. The computer system may be further configured to input the three-dimensional surface and volume mesh model into a fluid simulation system and determine a measurement of the physiological characteristic, using the fluid simulation system.