System and method for vascular tree generation using patient-specific structural and functional data, and joint prior information

A system for generating a vascular tree model, the system comprising:

• a data storage device storing instructions for generating a vascular tree model;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including the steps of:
• receiving a patient-specific vascular model of a patient's anatomy, the vascular model including a vascular network comprising one or more arteries, arterioles, or capillaries, the patient-specific vascular model being derived from one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving a patient-specific target tissue model in which to estimate a blood supply, the patient-specific target tissue model being derived from the one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving joint prior information associated with the vascular model and the target tissue model, the joint prior information including geometrical, physiological, and/or topological priors electronically learned from intensity variation data in the one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving data related to one or more perfusion characteristics of the target tissue;
• determining, using a processor, one or more associations between the vascular network of the patient-specific vascular model and one or more perfusion characteristics of the target tissue using the joint prior information electronically learned from intensity variation data;
• generating, using a processor, a vascular tree model including a microvascular model that extends to perfusion regions in the target tissue, using the determined associations between the vascular network of the patient-specific vascular model and the perfusion characteristics of the target tissue;
• calculating an estimation of supplied blood to the target tissue according to the generated vascular tree model;
• and
• providing a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease according to the estimation of supplied blood to the target tissue.

A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method for generating a vascular tree model, the method comprising:

• receiving a patient-specific vascular model of a patient's anatomy, the vascular model including a vascular network comprising one or more arteries, arterioles, or capillaries, the patient-specific vascular model being derived from one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving a patient-specific target tissue model in which to estimate a blood supply, the patient-specific target tissue model being derived from the one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving joint prior information associated with the vascular model and the target tissue model, the joint prior information including geometrical, physiological, and/or topological priors electronically learned from intensity variation data in the one or more patient-specific images of the patient's anatomy;
• receiving data related to one or more perfusion characteristics of the target tissue;
• determining, using a processor, one or more associations between the vascular network of the patient-specific vascular model and one or more perfusion characteristics of the target tissue using the joint prior information electronically learned from intensity variation data;
• generating, using a processor, a vascular tree model including a microvascular model that extends to perfusion regions in the target tissue, using the determined associations between the vascular network of the patient-specific vascular model and the perfusion characteristics of the target tissue;
• calculating an estimation of supplied blood to the target tissue according to the generated vascular tree model;
• and
• providing a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease according to the estimation of supplied blood to the target tissue.