IP Library Granted Patent US 12693363
Granted Patent B2
US 12693363 · App. 18/077,628 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Method and apparatus for evaluating subject with excitation time map

Inventors: Jae-Hun Jung (Pohang-si, KR); Se Hun Chun (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: POSTECH RESEARCH AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
G01R33/5608A61B5/055G06T11/26G06T2210/41
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12693363
App. No.
18/077,628
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided an analysis device for generating an excitation time map, which includes an interface device configured to receive time-series medical images of a subject and a computing device configured to generate an excitation time map by solving a diffusion reaction of electrical signals calculated from the time-series medical images using a solution of an ordinary differential equation. The excitation time map indicates excitation times at grid points of the time-series medical image.

Claims (207)

1 . An analysis device for generating an excitation time map, comprising:

an interface device configured to receive time-series medical images of a subject; and

a computing device configured to generate an excitation time map by solving a diffusion reaction of electrical signals calculated from the time-series medical images using a solution of an ordinary differential equation,

wherein the ordinary differential equation comprises (i) a function of the time of maximum membrane potential and (ii) a reaction function for a membrane potential and ion channels, and

wherein the excitation time map is a scalar map including excitation times at all grid points of the time-series medical images,

wherein the excitation time at each grid point is directly determined as a cell-specific time at which the membrane potential at the grid point reaches a maximum value, and

wherein the excitation time map is generated based on the determined excitation times determined independently for each grid point.

2 . The analysis device of claim 1 , wherein the time-series medical images include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) images.

3 . The analysis device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device generates the excitation time map using the following expression,

𝒯

(

x

i

)

=

j

t

j

u

(

x

i

,

t

j

)

j

u

(

x

i

,

t

j

)

-

T

0

,

for

all

t

=

t

j

satisfying

du

dt

>

0

,

(u denotes the membrane potential, x i denotes an i th grid point among the grid points, and t j denotes a time in the time-series medical image).

4 . The analysis device of claim 1 , wherein the ordinary differential equation is expressed as the following expression for cell B,

du

(

x

B

)

dt

=

I

app

δ

T

T

B

+

R

(

u

(

x

B

)

,

)

,

(x B denotes cell B, R(u, . . . ) denotes the reaction function for the membrane potential u and the ion channels, I app denotes a magnitude of a current transmitted from the outside with respect to cell B, T B denotes a period of time for cell B to reach a maximum membrane potential,

δ

T

T

B

 denotes a Kronecker delta function for T and T B , and T denotes a specific time).

5 . A method of evaluating a subject using an excitation time map, comprising:

receiving, by an analysis device, time-series medical images of a subject;

generating, by the analysis device, an excitation time map by solving a diffusion reaction of electrical signals calculated from the time-series medical images using a solution of an ordinary differential equation; and

comparing, by the analysis device, the excitation time map for the subject with a pre-built reference excitation time map and evaluating a condition of the subject,

wherein the ordinary differential equation comprises (i) a function of the time of maximum membrane potential and (ii) a reaction function for a membrane potential and ion channels, and

wherein the excitation time map is a scalar map including excitation times at all grid points of the time-series medical images,

wherein the excitation time at each grid point is directly determined as a cell-specific time at which the membrane potential at the grid point reaches a maximum value, and

wherein the excitation time map is generated based on the determined excitation times determined independently for each grid point.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the time-series medical images include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) images.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the analysis device generates the excitation time map using the following expression,

𝒯

(

x

i

)

=

j

t

j

u

(

x

i

,

t

j

)

j

u

(

x

i

,

t

j

)

-

T

0

,

for

all

t

=

t

j

satisfying

du

dt

>

0

,

(u denotes the membrane potential, x i denotes an i th grid point among the grid points, and t j denotes a time in the time-series medical image).

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the ordinary differential equation is expressed as the following expression for cell B,

du

(

x

B

)

dt

=

I

app

δ

T

T

B

+

R

(

u

(

x

B

)

,

)

,

(x B denotes the cell B, R(u, . . . ) denotes the reaction function for the membrane potential u and the ion channels, Lapp denotes a magnitude of a current transmitted from the outside with respect to cell B, T B denotes a period of time for cell B to reach a maximum membrane potential,

δ

T

T

B

 denotes a Kronecker delta function for T and T B , and T denotes a specific time).