Modeling and simulation system for optimizing prosthetic heart valve treament

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for simulating blood flow through one or more coronary blood vessels may first involve receiving patient-specific data, including imaging data related to one or more coronary blood vessels, and at least one clinically measured flow parameter. Next, the method may involve generating a digital model of the one or more coronary blood vessels, based at least partially on the imaging data, discretizing the model, applying boundary conditions to a portion of the digital model that contains the one or more coronary blood vessels, and initializing and solving mathematical equations of blood flow through the model to generate computerized flow parameters. Finally, the method may involve comparing the computerized flow parameters with the at least one clinically measured flow parameter.

1 . A computer-implemented method including a processor for simulating blood flow through a one or more coronary blood vessels, the method comprising:
 receiving patient-specific imaging data by said processor related to the one or more coronary blood vessels;   receiving at least one patient-specific measured flow parameter by said processor related to blood flow through the one or more coronary blood vessels;   generating by said processor a geometric model of the one or more coronary blood vessels, based at least partially on the imaging data, the geometric model having modeling parameters;   applying boundary conditions by said processor, corresponding to desired flow, to a portion of the geometric model that contains the one or more coronary blood vessels, wherein applying the boundary conditions comprises selecting boundary conditions based at least partially on patient-specific measurements;   solving mathematical equations of blood flow through the geometric model by said processor to generate a first set of computerized flow parameters by simulating blood flow through the model while the model characterizes physical features of an anatomic topology of the one or more coronary blood vessels;   comparing by said processor the first set of computerized flow parameters with the at least one measured flow parameter.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein selecting the boundary conditions comprises selecting inflow and outflow boundary conditions that compensate for at least one of underlying psychological condition or medical condition. 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein receiving the patient-specific imaging data comprises receiving at least one of non-interventionally generated data or minimally invasively generated data. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein generating the geometric model comprises generating the geometric model based at least partially on the imaging data and at least partially on the at least one measured flow parameter. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , further comprising performing at least one of a sensitivity analysis or an uncertainty analysis on the first and second sets of computerized flow parameters. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , further comprising using the geometric model for at least one of diagnosing a disease state, assessing a disease state, determining a prognosis of a disease state, monitoring a disease state, planning patient treatment or performing patient treatment. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein receiving the patient-specific imaging data comprises receiving the imaging data from an imaging modality selected from the group consisting of echocardiography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray, optical tomography and computed tomography. 
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein receiving the at least one measured flow parameter comprises receiving a parameter selected from the group consisting of Doppler echocardiograph, catheterization and a functional magnetic resonance image. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method including a processor for generating a geometric model of one or more coronary blood vessels, the method comprising:
 receiving patient-specific imaging data by said processor of the one or more coronary blood vessels;   generating by said processor a geometric model of the one or more coronary blood vessels, based at least partially on the imaging data, the geometric model having modeling parameters and model boundaries representing physical features of an anatomic topology of the one or more coronary blood vessels;   modeling blood flow through the geometric model to generate a first set of computerized flow parameters by said processor, wherein generating the first set of computerized flow parameters comprises applying boundary conditions, corresponding to desired flow, to a portion of the geometric model that contains the one or more coronary blood vessels, and wherein applying the boundary conditions comprises selecting boundary conditions based at least partially on patient-specific measures;   comparing by said processor the first set of computerized flow parameters with at least one measured flow parameter.   
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein generating the first set of computerized flow parameters further comprises:
 discretizing the geometric model; and   solving mathematical equations of blood flow through the geometric model.   
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein receiving the patient-specific imaging data comprises receiving at least one of non-interventionally generated data or minimally invasively generated data. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein receiving the patient-specific imaging data comprises receiving the imaging data from an imaging modality selected from the group consisting of echocardiography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray, optical tomography and computed tomography. 
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein receiving the at least one measured flow parameter comprises receiving a parameter selected from the group consisting of a Doppler echocardiograph, a catheterization and a functional magnetic resonance image. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 9 , further comprising performing at least one of a sensitivity analysis or an uncertainty analysis on the first set of computerized flow parameters. 
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 9 , further comprising using the adjusted geometric model for at least one of diagnosing a disease state, assessing a disease state, determining a prognosis of a disease state, monitoring a disease state, planning patient treatment or performing patient treatment. 
     
     
         16 . A system for generating a geometric model including a processor of one or more coronary blood vessels, the system comprising at least one computer system configured to:
 receive patient-specific imaging data by said processor of the one or more coronary blood vessels;   receive at least one patient-specific measured flow parameter by said processor related to blood flow through the one or more coronary blood vessels;   generate by said processor a first geometric model of the one or more coronary blood vessels, based at least partially on the imaging data, the geometric model having modeling parameters and model boundaries representing physical features of an anatomic topology of the one or more coronary blood vessels;   model blood flow through the first geometric model by said processor to generate a first set of computerized flow parameters, wherein generating the first set of computerized flow parameters comprises applying boundary conditions, corresponding to desired flow, to a portion of the geometric model that contains the one or more coronary blood vessels, and wherein applying the boundary conditions comprises selecting boundary conditions based at least partially on patient-specific measurements;   compare by said processor the first set of computerized flow parameters with measured flow parameters.