Virtual Contrast Agent CFD Simulation for Coronary Stenosis Assessment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing the functional significance of coronary artery stenoses, such as fractional flow reserve (FFR), are invasive and may lead to unnecessary procedures due to limitations in accurately determining the impact of lesions on blood flow, necessitating improved noninvasive metrics for evaluating stenosis severity.
Innovation Solution
The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with virtual contrast agents to model blood flow and compute metrics like transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG), corrected thrombosis in myocardial infarction frame count (CTFC), and corrected coronary opacification (CCO) to assess the functional significance of stenoses, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and reducing reliance on invasive measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is performed to visualize coronary lesions, then anatomic data on coronary lesions can be obtained, but functional significance of the lesions cannot be assessed and unnecessary interventions may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the coronary anatomy from CCTA images and performs CFD simulations on this digital model to assess functional significance noninvasively, replacing the need for invasive pressure wire measurements while maintaining diagnostic accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/invasive FFR measurement system with a computational CFD simulation system that uses virtual contrast agents and numerical models to calculate flow dynamics and pressure gradients, eliminating the need for physical catheterization
2Reliability
If FFR measurement is performed invasively to assess functional significance, then accurate data on blood flow impact can be obtained, but the procedure is invasive and carries additional risk and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtual contrast agents in a computational model to replicate the behavior of real contrast agents during angiography, allowing noninvasive assessment of functional significance with the same diagnostic reliability as invasive FFR measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CFD simulations as an intermediary between the CCTA anatomical data and the functional assessment, using computational fluid dynamics to bridge the gap between structure and function without requiring direct invasive measurement
3Ease of operation
If CCTA is used to obtain anatomic data, then noninvasive imaging of coronary arteries is achieved, but functional significance and blood flow rates cannot be directly measured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary CFD simulations on the anatomical model generated from CCTA data, pre-calculating flow patterns and contrast agent distribution before clinical interpretation, thereby extracting functional information from the anatomical structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct physical measurement of blood flow and functional assessment with computational simulation that models fluid dynamics and contrast agent behavior, enabling noninvasive extraction of functional data from anatomical images
4Measurement precision
If invasive FFR measurement is performed for every lesion found by CCA, then functional significance is assessed, but unnecessary operations increase healthcare costs and patient risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual model of the coronary system from CCTA data and performs CFD simulations to assess functional significance, providing accurate diagnostic information that can guide selective intervention and avoid unnecessary procedures on patients with non-significant lesions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses CFD simulation results as feedback to determine which lesions require intervention, allowing clinicians to identify functionally significant lesions that need treatment while avoiding unnecessary procedures on lesions that do not impact blood flow, thereby optimizing resource allocation
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for assessing a risk of disease. One method includes obtaining an anatomic model associated with a target anatomy; modeling, using a processor, an injection of one or more virtual contrast agents into the anatomic model; performing a simulation of flow of blood and the one or more virtual contrast agents through the anatomic model; and computing one or more characteristics of concentration associated with the one or more virtual contrast agents at one or more locations in the anatomic model based on the simulation.