IP Library Granted Patent US 10,878,963
Granted Patent B2
US 10,878,963 · App. 15/253,335 · Granted Dec 29, 2020

Systems and methods for reporting blood flow characteristics

Inventors: Charles A. Taylor (Menlo Park, CA); Gregory R. Hart (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
G16H50/50A61B5/026A61B5/02007A61B5/743A61B5/7475G06F19/321G16H10/60G16H30/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,878,963
App. No.
15/253,335
Granted
Dec 29, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments include a system for displays cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart and create a model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The computer system may determine at least one value of the blood flow characteristic within the patient's heart based on the model. The computer system may also display a report comprising a representation of at least one artery corresponding to at least a portion the model, and display one or more indicators of the value of the blood flow characteristic on a corresponding portion of the at least one artery.

Claims (63)

1. A system for displaying cardiovascular information of a patient, the system comprising:

at least one storage device storing instructions to perform operations; and

at least one processor configured to perform the operations comprising:

receiving patient-specific data regarding a geometry of at least a portion of the patient's arteries;

determining a model representing at least the portion of the patient's arteries based on the patient-specific data;

determining patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through at least the portion of the patient's arteries;

generating a visual report on an electronic display, comprising:

a representation of at least a portion of an artery of the model; and

a first estimate of patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through a segment of the artery;

generating an automatic suggestion of a candidate location for placement of a stent by:

determining a plurality of estimates of blood flow at a plurality of locations within the artery based on the patient-specific blood flow data;

determining a plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery based on the plurality of estimates of blood flow;

determining a degree of improvement in patient-specific blood flow values at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery by simulating blood flow changes after stent placements at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

determining the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for placement of the stent based on the degree of improvement of patient-specific blood flow at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

indicating the automatic suggestion of the candidate location by displaying, on the display concurrently with the visual report, a stent indicator on the representation at a location corresponding to the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for the placement of the stent, the stent indicator being visually distinct from the representation of the at least the portion of the artery and being longitudinally extended along a length of the portion of the artery;

determining whether there is an existing stent at a location in a second artery in the patient's arteries; and

updating the model to indicate that the blood flow data is not determinable due to an existing stent, in response to determining that there is an existing stent.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise

based on a movement of the stent indicator, updating the representation of the at least the portion of the artery of the second visual report.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model based on the model and a placement of the stent indicator; and

displaying one or more indicators of the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model on a corresponding portion of the artery.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific blood flow data is fractional flow reserve data.

5. A computer-implemented method for displaying cardiovascular information of a patient, comprising:

receiving patient-specific data regarding a geometry of at least a portion of the patient's arteries;

determining a model representing at least the portion of the patient's arteries based on the patient-specific data;

determining patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through at least the portion of the patient's arteries;

generating a visual report on an electronic display, comprising:

a representation of at least a portion of an artery of the model; and

a first estimate of patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through a segment of the artery;

generating an automatic suggestion of a candidate location for placement of a stent by:

determining a plurality of estimates of blood flow at a plurality of locations within the artery based on the patient-specific blood flow data;

determining a plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery based on the plurality of estimates of blood flow;

determining a degree of improvement in patient-specific blood flow values at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery by simulating blood flow changes after stent placements at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

determining the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for placement of the stent based on the degree of improvement of patient-specific blood flow at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

indicating the automatic suggestion of the candidate location by displaying, on the display concurrently with the visual report, a stent indicator on the representation at a location corresponding to the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for the placement of the stent, the stent indicator being visually distinct from the representation of the at least the portion of the artery and being longitudinally extended along a length of the portion of the artery;

determining whether there is an existing stent at a location in a second artery in the patient's arteries; and

updating the model to indicate that the blood flow data is not determinable due to an existing stent, in response to determining that there is an existing stent.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

based on a movement of the stent indicator, updating the representation of the at least the portion of the artery of the second visual report.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model based on the model and a placement of the stent indicator; and

displaying one or more indicators of the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model on a corresponding portion of the artery.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the blood flow data is fractional flow reserve data.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a operations for displaying cardiovascular information of a patient, the operations comprising:

receiving patient-specific data regarding a geometry of at least a portion of the patient's arteries;

determining a model representing at least the portion of the patient's arteries based on the patient-specific data;

determining patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through at least the portion of the patient's arteries;

generating a visual report on an electronic display, comprising:

a representation of at least a portion of an artery of the model; and

a first estimate of patient-specific blood flow data for blood flow through a segment of the artery;

generating an automatic suggestion of a candidate location for placement of a stent by:

determining a plurality of estimates of blood flow at a plurality of locations within the artery based on the patient-specific blood flow data;

determining a plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery based on the plurality of estimates of blood flow;

determining a degree of improvement in patient-specific blood flow values at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations in the artery by simulating blood flow changes after stent placements at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

determining the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for placement of the stent based on the degree of improvement of patient-specific blood flow at each of the plurality of candidate stent placement locations; and

indicating the automatic suggestion of the candidate location by displaying, on the display concurrently with the visual report, a stent indicator on the representation at a location corresponding to the automatic suggestion of the candidate location for the placement of the stent, the stent indicator being visually distinct from the representation of the at least the portion of the artery and being longitudinally extended along a length of the portion of the artery;

determining whether there is an existing stent at a location in a second artery in the patient's arteries; and

updating the model to indicate that the blood flow data is not determinable due to an existing stent, in response to determining that there is an existing stent.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a movement of the stent indicator, updating the representation of the at least the portion of the artery of the updated or second visual report.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model based on the model and a placement of the stent indicator; and displaying one or more indicators of the second estimate of patient-specific blood flow data of at least the portion of the model on a corresponding portion of the a artery.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2025
From: HAYFIN SERVICES LLP
To: HEARTFLOW, INC.
Reel/Frame 072876/0775 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2024
From: HAYFIN SERVICES LLP
To: HEARTFLOW, INC.
Reel/Frame 067801/0032 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2024
From: HEARTFLOW, INC.
To: HAYFIN SERVICES LLP
Reel/Frame 067775/0966 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2021
From: HEARTFLOW, INC.
To: HAYFIN SERVICES LLP
Reel/Frame 055037/0890 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2016
From: TAYLOR, CHARLES A.; HART, GREGORY R.
To: HEARTFLOW, INC.
Reel/Frame 039925/0318 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14480870 · Sep 9, 2014
Provisional Application 62005272 · May 30, 2014
Related Publication 20160367153A1 · Dec 22, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 12,670,998