Device for determining information relating to a suspected occluding object

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for determining information relating to a suspected occluding structure. It is described to provide (210) a spectral resolving unit with at least one broadband radiation. The at least one broadband radiation comprises a first broadband radiation acquired from a region of interest within a vascular structure. An occluding structure is suspected to be located within the region of interest and wherein the first broadband radiation is associated with the suspected occluding structure. At least one spectrally resolved data set is determined (220) on the basis of the at least one broadband radiation, wherein the at least one spectrally resolved data set comprises a first spectrally resolved data set determined on the basis of the first broadband radiation. A processing unit is provided (230) with the at least one spectrally resolved data set on the basis of the at least one broadband radiation. The processing unit determines (240) information relating to the suspected occluding structure, comprising utilisation of the first spectrally resolved data set.

1 . A system for determining information relating to an occluding structure, the system comprising:
 at least one optical fiber configured to:
 acquire a first broadband radiation reflected from an occluding structure formed within a vascular structure, wherein the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot, and 
 acquire a second broadband radiation reflected from blood or a vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure within the vascular structure; 
   a spectral resolver configured to:
 receive the first broadband radiation and the second broadband radiation from the at least one optical fiber, 
 determine a first spectrally resolved data set based on the first broadband radiation, wherein the first spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the formed occluding structure, and 
 determine a second spectrally resolved data set based on the second broadband radiation, wherein the second spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure; and 
   a processor configured to:
 receive the first spectrally resolved data set and the second spectrally resolved data set, and 
 determine information relating to the occluding structure based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information determined related to the occluding structure includes type of the blood clot. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine the type of the blood clot based on a differentiation between a first blood clot type that is rich in red blood cells and a second blood clot type that is rich in fibrin.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein, to differentiation between the first blood clot type and the second blood clot type, the processor is further configured to:
 determine a physiological parameter of the blood clot comprising at least one of: an amount of haemoglobin in the blood clot, an amount of haemoglobin oxygen saturation in the blood clot, an amount of scattering in the blood clot, a vessel packaging parameter associated with the blood clot, water content of the blood clot, or an amount of at least one haemoglobin derivative in the blood clot.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein, to determine the at least one physiological parameter, the processor is further configured to at least one of:
 fit an optical model to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply a multivariate analysis tool to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   perform a partial least squares discriminant analysis of at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply support vector machines to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply a k nearest neighbor analysis to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set; or   apply deep learning algorithms to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first broadband radiation and the second broadband radiation each comprise radiation in the range 400 nm to 800 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the occluding structure comprises at least one of: an indication of one or more thrombectomy devices most suitable for removal of the blood clot, an assessment of the physical consistency of the blood clot, an assessment of density of the blood clot, or an assessment of fibrin content of the blood clot. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 identify the formed occluding structure in the vascular structure, and   detect whether the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a first broadband radiation reflected from an occluding structure formed within a vascular structure, wherein the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot;   determine a first spectrally resolved data set based on the first broadband radiation, wherein the first spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the formed occluding structure;   receive a second broadband radiation reflected from blood or a vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure within the vascular structure;   determine a second spectrally resolved data set based on the second broadband radiation, wherein the second spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure; and   determine information relating to the occluding structure based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the information determined related to the occluding structure includes type of the blood clot. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine the type of the blood clot based on a differentiation between a first blood clot type that is rich in red blood cells and a second blood clot type that is rich in fibrin.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein, to differentiation between the first blood clot type and the second blood clot type, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a physiological parameter of the blood clot comprising at least one of: an amount of haemoglobin in the blood clot, an amount of haemoglobin oxygen saturation in the blood clot, an amount of scattering in the blood clot, a vessel packaging parameter associated with the blood clot, water content of the blood clot, or an amount of at least one haemoglobin derivative in the blood clot.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein, to determine the at least one physiological parameter, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to at least one of:
 fit an optical model to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply a multivariate analysis tool to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   perform a partial least squares discriminant analysis of at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply support vector machines to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   apply a k nearest neighbor analysis to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set; or   apply deep learning algorithms to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first broadband radiation and the second broadband radiation each comprise radiation in the range 400 nm to 800 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the information relating to the occluding structure comprises at least one of: an indication of one or more thrombectomy devices most suitable for removal of the blood clot, an assessment of the physical consistency of the blood clot, an assessment of density of the blood clot, or an assessment of fibrin content of the blood clot. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 identify the formed occluding structure in the vascular structure, and   detect whether the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure.   
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method for determining information relating to an occluding structure, the method comprising:
 receiving a first broadband radiation reflected from an occluding structure formed within a vascular structure, wherein the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot;   determining a first spectrally resolved data set based on the first broadband radiation, wherein the first spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the formed occluding structure;   receiving a second broadband radiation reflected from blood or a vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure within the vascular structure;   determining a second spectrally resolved data set based on the second broadband radiation, wherein the second spectrally resolved data set includes a spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure; and   determining information relating to the occluding structure based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising differentiating between a first blood clot type that is rich in red blood cells and a second blood clot type that is rich in fibrin by:
 determining a physiological parameter of the blood clot comprising at least one of: an amount of haemoglobin in the blood clot, an amount of haemoglobin oxygen saturation in the blood clot, an amount of scattering in the blood clot, a vessel packaging parameter associated with the blood clot, water content of the blood clot, or an amount of at least one haemoglobin derivative in the blood clot.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining the at least one physiological parameter of the blood clot further comprises at least one of:
 fitting an optical model to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   applying a multivariate analysis tool to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   performing a partial least squares discriminant analysis of at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   applying support vector machines to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set;   applying a k nearest neighbor analysis to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set; or   applying deep learning algorithms to at least one of the first spectrally resolved data set or the second spectrally resolved data set.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 identifying the formed occluding structure in the vascular structure; and   detecting whether the formed occluding structure comprises a blood clot based on comparing (i) the spectrum of the formed occluding structure to (ii) the spectrum of the blood or the vessel wall located near the formed occluding structure.