Systems and methods for predicting coronary plaque vulnerability from patient-specific anatomic image data

A system of predicting a cardiac risk of a patient, the system comprising:

• a data storage device storing instructions for predicting coronary plaque vulnerability from patient-specific anatomic image data;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:
• acquiring anatomical image data of at least part of the patient's vascular system;
• performing, using a processor, one or more of image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis on the anatomical image data;
• determining, using the processor, a coronary plaque vulnerability present at a selected location in the patient's vascular system based on results of one or more of the image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis of the anatomical image data;
• acquiring image data of each individual in a plurality of individuals;
• determining a model of vascular geometry present in each individual in the plurality of individuals other than the patient, wherein each model comprises one or more points;
• determining, for each individual's model, a selected point corresponding to the selected location in the patient's vascular system;
• determining, for each selected point of each individual's model, an individual-specific numerical description of one or more factors that affect cardiac risk;
• generating, for the selected location of the patient's vascular system, a patient-specific numerical description of one or more factors that affect cardiac risk based on each of the individual-specific numerical descriptions;
• and
• predicting a cardiac risk of the patient based on (i) the determined coronary plaque vulnerability present at the location in the patient's vascular system and (ii) the patient-specific numerical description.

A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method of predicting a cardiac risk of a patient, the method comprising:

• acquiring anatomical image data of at least part of the patient's vascular system;
• performing, using a processor, one or more of image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis on the anatomical image data;
• determining, using the processor, a coronary plaque vulnerability present at a selected location in the patient's vascular system based on results of one or more of the image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis of the anatomical image data;
• acquiring image data of each individual in a plurality of individuals;
• determining a model of vascular geometry present in each individual in the plurality of individuals other than the patient, wherein each model comprises one or more points;
• determining, for each individual's model, a selected point corresponding to the selected location in the patient's vascular system;
• determining, for each selected point of each individual's model, an individual-specific numerical description of one or more factors that affect cardiac risk;
• generating, for the selected location of the patient's vascular system, a patient-specific numerical description of one or more factors that affect cardiac risk based on each of the individual-specific numerical descriptions;
• and
• predicting a cardiac risk of the patient based on (i) the determined coronary plaque vulnerability present at the location in the patient's vascular system and (ii) the patient-specific numerical description.