METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SIMULATING BLOOD FLOW UNDER PATIENT-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY CONDITIONS DERIVED FROM AN ESTIMATED CARDIAC EJECTION OUTPUT

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for simulating blood flow through a cardiovascular structure, e.g. a blood cavity such as the left ventricle outflow tract, the aortic root including the AV, plus ascending aorta, a ventricle volume, the aorta or any other cavity where blood flows through, under patient-specific boundary conditions derived from the cardiac ejection output per heart stroke. The cardiac ejection output can be estimated from volumes of a heart chamber of the patient in different filling states at two or more different points in time. The results of the flow simulation can be used to derive at least one physiological parameter or can be visualized and virtual Doppler ultrasound images may be generated to allow a physician assessing the result.

主权项

1. An apparatus for simulating blood flow through a cardiovascular structure close to the heart of a patient, said apparatus comprising:
an estimation circuit for estimating a cardiac ejection output per heart stroke based on a volume of at least one heart chamber of said patient in different filling states at two or more points in time, and for deriving at least one patient-specific boundary condition for the flow through said cardiovascular structure from the cardiac ejection output per heart stroke; and a simulation circuit for simulating a blood flow through a volumetric mesh of said cardiovascular structure under consideration of said patient-specific boundary conditions, to visualize said blood flow or to derive at least one physiological parameter of said patient.