Methods and systems for modeling a necrotized tissue volume in an ablation procedure

1. A method of modeling a necrotized tissue volume in an ablation procedure, the method comprising:

providing, at a radiology workstation, a computer model of a volume of human tissue;

simulating, by the radiology workstation, an ablation site in the computer model;

detecting, by the radiology workstation and in the computer model, at least a preferential pathway for heated vapor produced due to ablation of the tissue, wherein the at least a preferential pathway intersects the ablation site;

determining, by the radiology workstation, a proportion of vapor escaping to the at least a preferential pathway during an ablation procedure;

determining, by the radiology workstation, a heat distribution at the ablation site as a function of the distribution of vapor; and

generating, by the radiology workstation, a simulation of a necrotized tissue volume in the volume of human tissue, wherein the simulation of the necrotized tissue volume represents a volume of tissue necrotized by heat during an ablation procedure performed at the ablation site.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the computer model further comprises generating the computer model.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the computer model further comprises generating the computer model from an image of the volume of human tissue.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the computer model further comprises registering a virtual model of an organ over an image of the volume of human tissue.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating the ablation site further comprises simulating a probe insertion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the at least a preferential pathway further comprises detecting, in a virtual model of an organ, a pathway that intersects the ablation site.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the at least a preferential pathway further comprises detecting a probe insertion pathway.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the at least a preferential pathway further comprises:

introducing an image enhancement substance into the ablation site;

capturing an image of the ablation site with the image enhancement substance; and

detecting the at least a preferential pathway as a function of the image of the ablation site.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway further comprises:

determining a flow rate of vapor into the at least a preferential pathway; and

determining the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway as a function of the flow rate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the distribution of vapor as a function of the flow rate further comprises:

determining a rate of vapor generation;

comparing the flow rate to the rate of vapor generation; and

determining the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway as a function of the comparison.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway further comprises:

deriving a surface area of the at least a preferential pathway; and

determining the distribution of vapor as a function of the surface area.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway further comprises:

deriving a volume of the at least a preferential pathway; and

determining the distribution of vapor as a function of the volume.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the heat distribution at the ablation site further comprises:

identifying a proportion of heat converted to vapor; and

determining the heat distribution at the ablation site as a function of the proportion of the heat converted to vapor and the distribution of vapor to the at least a preferential pathway.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising calculating a distribution of heat transferred to the tissue by the vapor.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the simulation of the necrotized tissue volume further comprises simulating a primary ablation volume as a function of heat present at the ablation site.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the simulation of the necrotized tissue volume further comprises simulating necrotized tissue along the at least a preferential pathway.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing a simulated volume to a volume of tissue intended to be necrotized.

18. A system for modeling a necrotized tissue volume in an ablation procedure, the system comprising:

an radiology workstation, wherein the radiology workstation is designed and configured to provide a computer model of a volume of human tissue based on corporeal image data, simulate an ablation site in the computer model, detect, in the computer model, at least a preferential pathway for heated vapor produced due to ablation of the tissue, wherein the at least a preferential pathway intersects the ablation site, determine a proportion of vapor escaping to the at least a preferential pathway during an ablation procedure, determiner a heat distribution at the ablation site as a function of the distribution of vapor, and generate a simulation of a necrotized tissue volume in the volume of human tissue, wherein the simulation of the necrotized tissue volume represents a volume of tissue necrotized by heat during an ablation procedure performed at the ablation site.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a radiological machine in communication with the radiology workstation.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising an image-guided surgical suite in communication with the radiology workstation.