Vascular Network Model for Blood Flow Simulation Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blood flow analysis methods using computational fluid dynamics struggle to achieve high accuracy due to variations in blood vessel modeling, particularly when modeling downstream blood vessels, leading to inaccuracies in fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements, as they fail to consider fine blood vessels branching from the coronary artery.
Innovation Solution
A blood flow analysis device and method that extracts a blood vessel region from a three-dimensional medical image, generates a vascular network model by applying line resistance values to each node based on branch blood vessels and surface areas, and performs simulation using this model to account for fine blood vessels, thereby improving accuracy in FFR measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a blood vessel model is generated by replacing the downstream blood vessel with a fractal model, then the blood flow analysis can be performed, but the analysis results vary depending on the modeling position due to diameter variations
Solution Approach 1:
The downstream blood vessel is divided into multiple preset sections along the extension direction, with each section having a specific surface area. Line resistance is calculated for each section individually based on its surface area, allowing the model to capture local variations in vessel geometry and resistance, thereby reducing errors from position-dependent diameter variations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different resistance values are assigned to different sections of the blood vessel model based on their local surface areas. This local differentiation allows the model to reflect the actual physiological variations in resistance along the blood vessel, improving the accuracy of FFR measurements at different positions.
2Device complexity
If CFD is performed without considering fine blood vessels, then the calculation is simpler, but the blood flow analysis accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A vascular network model is introduced as an intermediary between the visible blood vessel region and the invisible fine blood vessels. This model incorporates line resistance values that represent the cumulative effect of fine blood vessels, allowing their influence to be included in the CFD simulation without explicitly modeling each fine vessel, thus balancing complexity and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance values in the blood vessel model are modified to include the effect of fine blood vessels. By changing the resistance parameter to reflect the combined resistance of the visible and invisible vascular networks, the model accurately represents fine vessel effects without requiring their explicit geometric representation.
Data Source
AI summary
A blood flow analysis device includes a blood vessel region extraction unit that extracts a blood vessel region from a three-dimensional medical image of a subject including a blood vessel, and a blood flow simulation unit that obtains a line resistance by multiplying a resistance value corresponding to a branch blood vessel branching out of the blood vessel region by a surface area of each of preset sections into which the blood vessel region is divided in an extension direction, generates a vascular network model by applying the line resistance to each node of a surface of the blood vessel region, and performs simulation of a blood flow by using the vascular network model.