Automated Left Atrial Volume Estimation from PET First-Pass Peaks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic methods for cardiac diseases, such as heart failure and coronary artery disease, require separate examinations for left atrial volume and myocardial blood flow, which are labor-intensive and prone to observer variation, lacking a reliable non-invasive method for quantitatively measuring pulmonary congestion and preload.
Innovation Solution
A method for modeling the human heart and its chambers based on PET images, segmenting the heart into its components to estimate volumes and functional parameters, including left and right atria, using time activity curves and first-pass peaks to create a segmented model, allowing for simultaneous estimation of myocardial blood flow and left atrial volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate examinations are performed for left atrial volume and myocardial blood flow, then measurement accuracy is improved, but examination time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines left atrial volume measurement and myocardial blood flow measurement into a single integrated PET examination. The method processes PET images to simultaneously generate both measurements, eliminating the need for separate examinations while maintaining measurement accuracy through automated segmentation and analysis algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The PET examination system is designed to perform multiple diagnostic functions simultaneously - measuring both left atrial volume and myocardial blood flow from the same imaging data. This multi-functional approach allows a single examination to provide comprehensive cardiac assessment without requiring additional scanning time or resources.
2Measurement precision
If manual planimetry is used for left atrial volume measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but observer bias and labor intensity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs automated segmentation algorithms that independently identify and measure the left atrium without requiring manual tracing by observers. The algorithm automatically segments cardiac structures from PET images, calculates volumes, and generates measurements, making the process self-sufficient and eliminating observer bias while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of planimetry with an automated computational system. Instead of observers manually tracing atrial boundaries, computer algorithms automatically segment the left atrium and calculate its volume, substituting human manual operations with automated image processing and analysis.
3Measurement precision
If specialized equipment is used for direct three-dimensional measurements, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the PET scanner, a device already used for myocardial blood flow measurement, to also perform accurate three-dimensional left atrial volume measurement. By processing the existing PET imaging data with appropriate segmentation algorithms, the system achieves direct 3D volume measurement without requiring specialized additional equipment, making the PET scanner a multi-functional diagnostic tool.
4Loss of information
If multiple separate examinations are performed, then comprehensive diagnostic information is obtained, but productivity and diagnostic efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple diagnostic measurements - left atrial volume, myocardial blood flow, and related cardiac parameters - into a single integrated PET examination workflow. This consolidation provides comprehensive diagnostic information while improving efficiency by eliminating the need for multiple separate examinations, thereby increasing overall diagnostic productivity.
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
This approach enables accurate, automated, and reproducible estimation of left atrial volume and myocardial blood flow, as well as quantitative assessment of pulmonary congestion and preload, reducing the need for additional clinical examinations and improving diagnostic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The system detects gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body
Implementation Method 2
three dimensional imaging is accomplished with the aid of a computed tomography (CT) X-ray scan performed on the patient
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
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Figure 5A~6B
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for modelling a human heart and/or chambers and cavities therein, such as the left and right atrium, based on a plurality of emission tomography images, such as positron emission images, of said human heart, wherein each image represents concentrations of a tracer that has been injected at a specific time, the overall method comprising the steps of: A: extracting time activity curves of a tracer that has been injected for a plurality of pixels and/or voxels; B: identifying first-pass peaks of the time activity curves, each peak corresponding to an arrival time of the injected tracer at the corresponding pixel/voxel; C: defining a model comprising at least two portions of the heart, wherein the at least two portions are isolated by selecting pixels and/or voxels based on comparisons of the first-pass peaks against a threshold; and D: arranging the at least two portions in relation to each other by comparing the arrival times of the first-pass peaks of the pixels and/or voxels in the portions, thereby obtaining a segmented model of the human heart, which method and model may specifically be used to obtain an estimate of the volume of the left or right atrium of said human heart.