Systems and methods for simulation of hemodialysis access and optimization

1. A computer-implemented method of simulating or optimizing hemodialysis access, the method comprising:

receiving a patient-specific, three-dimensional anatomic model of a patient's vasculature;

computing a pre-treatment hemodynamic characteristic of a pre-treatment geometry of a portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

modifying the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model defines a post-treatment geometry of a vascular access in the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model, the post-treatment geometry being different from the pre-treatment geometry of the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

determining a computational model of a hemodynamic characteristic of the modified three-dimensional anatomic model defining the post-treatment geometry of the vascular access;

computing a post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic using the computational model associated with the modified three-dimensional anatomic model; and

generating a representation of the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the hemodynamic characteristic includes blood pressure, blood velocity, or cardiac output.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving or determining a geometry of a planned treatment defining the vascular access; and

modifying the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the post-treatment geometry is based on the geometry of the planned treatment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the planned treatment includes a graft.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving or measuring one or more candidate locations of the received three-dimensional anatomic model, wherein the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model is selected from one of the one or more candidate locations.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a cost function for optimizing the vascular access; and

solving the cost function using the pre-treatment hemodynamic characteristic and the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving one or more infeasible surgical geometries for the hemodialysis access, and

computing the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic using the one or more infeasible geometries as constraints for the simulating of the post-treatment geometry.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a treatment or treatment location of the vascular access based on the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

9. A system for simulating or optimizing hemodialysis access, the system comprising:

a data storage device storing instructions for simulating or optimizing hemodialysis access; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:

receiving a three-dimensional patient-specific anatomic model of a patient's vasculature;

computing a pre-treatment hemodynamic characteristic of a pre-treatment geometry of a portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

modifying the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model defines a post-treatment geometry of a vascular access in the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model, the post-treatment geometry being different from the pre-treatment geometry of the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

determining a computational model of a hemodynamic characteristic of the modified three-dimensional anatomic model defining the post-treatment geometry of the vascular access;

computing a post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic using the computational model associated with the modified three-dimensional anatomic model; and

generating a representation of the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the hemodynamic characteristic includes blood pressure, blood velocity, or cardiac output.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured for:

receiving or determining a geometry of a planned treatment defining the vascular access; and

modifying the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the post-treatment geometry is based on the geometry of the planned treatment.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the planned treatment includes a graft.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured for:

receiving or measuring one or more candidate locations of the received three-dimensional anatomic model, wherein the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model is selected from one of the one or more candidate locations.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured for:

defining a cost function for optimizing the vascular access; and

solving the cost function using the pre-treatment hemodynamic characteristic and the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured for:

receiving one or more infeasible surgical geometries for the hemodialysis access, and

computing the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic using the one or more infeasible geometries as constraints for the simulating of the post-treatment geometry.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further configured for:

selecting a treatment or treatment location of the vascular access based on the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for performing a method of simulating or optimizing hemodialysis access, the method comprising:

receiving a patient-specific, three-dimensional anatomic model of a patient's vasculature;

computing a pre-treatment hemodynamic characteristic of a pre-treatment geometry of a portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

modifying the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the geometry of the received three-dimensional anatomic model defines a post-treatment geometry of a vascular access in the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model, the post-treatment geometry being different from the pre-treatment geometry of the portion of the received three-dimensional anatomic model;

determining a computational model of a hemodynamic characteristic of the modified three-dimensional anatomic model defining the post-treatment geometry of the vascular access;

computing a post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic using the computational model associated with the modified three-dimensional anatomic model; and

generating a representation of the post-treatment hemodynamic characteristic.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the hemodynamic characteristic includes blood pressure, blood velocity, or cardiac output.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , the method further comprising:

receiving or determining a geometry of a planned treatment defining the vascular access; and

modifying the received three-dimensional anatomic model such that the post-treatment geometry is based on the geometry of the planned treatment.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the planned treatment includes a graft.