# US 12,178,557 B2 · Systems and methods for determination of blood flow characteristics and pathologies through modeling of myocardial blood supply > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,557 B2 - Document ID: US12178557B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/241,573 - Filed: 2019-01-07 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-29 - Assignees: HeartFlow, Inc. - Applicants: HeartFlow, Inc. - Inventors: Leo Grady; Charles A. Taylor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178557B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate - A61B 5/0044: {for the heart} - A61B 5/02007: {Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance} - A61B 5/026: Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)} - A61B 5/7275: {Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor} - G06T 19/00: Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics - G16B 45/00: ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related data visualisation, e.g. displaying of maps or networks - G16H 50/50: for simulation or modelling of medical disorders - A61B 5/0263: {using NMR} - A61B 5/0275: using tracers, e.g. dye dilution - A61B 6/48: {Diagnostic techniques (A61B6/022, A61B6/025 A61B6/032, A61B6/037 take precedence)} - A61B 6/507: {for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT} - A61B 8/0883: {for diagnosis of the heart} - A61B 2576/023: for the heart - G06T 2210/41: Medical - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G16B: BIOINFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR GENETIC OR PROTEIN-RELATED DATA PROCESSING IN COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for evaluating a patient with vascular disease. One method includes receiving one or more vascular models associated with either the patient or with a plurality of individuals; receiving observed perfusion information associated with the patient; and estimating, using one or more computer processors, one or more blood flow characteristics or one or more pathological characteristics of the patient based on the observed perfusion information and the one or more vascular models. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of analyzing patient-specific perfusion, the method comprising: receiving a patient-specific vascular model associated with an individual; receiving or determining a pathology of the patient-specific vascular model; receiving a patient-specific tissue model associated with the individual; identifying one or more perfusion territories within the patient-specific vascular model, using the patient-specific tissue model; parameterizing one or more locations of the pathology within the one or more perfusion territories of the patient-specific vascular model; using forward modeling to generate a patient-specific perfusion model by modeling a blood flow through the identified perfusion territories; prompting a user to provide a severity of the pathology at the one or more locations; and assessing an effect of the pathology on perfusion by modeling perfusion through portions of the one or more perfusion territories corresponding to locations of the pathology for which the user provided a severity of the pathology. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a patient-specific observed perfusion value; deforming the patient-specific vascular model based on the patient-specific perfusion model and the received patient-specific observed perfusion value; generating an updated patient-specific vascular model based on the deformed patient-specific vascular model; and outputting the updated patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: calculating a perfusion value using the deformed patient-specific vascular model; determining that the perfusion value is equivalent to the patient-specific observed perfusion value; and based on the determining, generating the updated patient-specific vascular model according to the deformed patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: estimating one or more patient plaque characteristics based on the updated patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising: identifying a set of hypothetical plaque pathologies that produce the observed patient-specific perfusion value, wherein the one or more patient plaque characteristics are associated with the set of hypothetical plaque pathologies. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a perfusion value associated with the patient-specific tissue model; and registering the received perfusion value to a location of the patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the forward modeling uses the parameterized one or more locations of the pathology of the vascular model. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the pathology is a plaque. ### Claim 9 A system for analyzing patient-specific perfusion, the system comprising: a data storage device storing instructions for generating a patient-specific perfusion treatment recommendation; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including: receiving a patient-specific vascular model associated with an individual; receiving or determining a pathology of the patient-specific vascular model; receiving a patient-specific tissue model associated with the individual; identifying one or more perfusion territories within the patient-specific vascular model, using the patient-specific tissue model; parameterizing one or more locations of the pathology within the one or more perfusion territories of the patient-specific vascular model; using forward modeling to generate a patient-specific perfusion model by modeling a blood flow through the identified perfusion territories; prompting a user to provide a severity of the pathology at the one or more locations; and assessing an effect of the pathology on perfusion by modeling perfusion through portions of the one or more perfusion territories corresponding to locations of the pathology for which the user provided a severity of the pathology. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for: receiving a patient-specific observed perfusion value; deforming the patient-specific vascular model based on the patient-specific perfusion model and the received patient-specific observed perfusion value; generating an updated patient-specific vascular model based on the deformed patient-specific vascular model; and outputting the updated patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured for: calculating a perfusion value using the deformed patient-specific vascular model; determining that the perfusion value is equivalent to the patient-specific observed perfusion value; and based on the determining, generating the updated patient-specific vascular model according to the deformed patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured for: estimating one or more patient plaque characteristics based on the updated patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the system if further configured for: identifying a set of hypothetical plaque pathologies that produce the observed patient-specific perfusion value, wherein the one or more patient plaque characteristics are associated with the set of hypothetical plaque pathologies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured for: receiving a perfusion value associated with the patient-specific tissue model; and registering the received perfusion value to a location of the patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the forward modeling uses the parameterized one or more locations of the pathology. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the pathology is a plaque. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for analyzing patient-specific perfusion, the instructions comprising: receiving a patient-specific vascular model associated with an individual; receiving or determining a pathology of the patient-specific vascular model; receiving a patient-specific tissue model associated with the individual; identifying one or more perfusion territories within the patient-specific vascular model, using the patient-specific tissue model; parameterizing one or more locations of the pathology within the one or more perfusion territories of the patient-specific vascular model; using forward modeling to generate a patient-specific perfusion model by modeling a blood flow through the identified perfusion territories; prompting a user to provide a severity of the pathology at the one or more locations; and assessing an effect of the pathology on perfusion by modeling perfusion through portions of the one or more perfusion territories corresponding to locations of the pathology for which the user provided a severity of the pathology. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the instructions further comprising: receiving a patient-specific observed perfusion value; deforming the patient-specific vascular model based on the patient-specific perfusion model and the received patient-specific observed perfusion value; generating an updated patient-specific vascular model based on the deformed patient-specific vascular model; and outputting the updated patient-specific vascular model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the forward modeling uses the parameterized one or more locations of the pathology. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the pathology is a plaque.