Introduction

The invention consists of the development and implementation of a computer-implemented method for the simulation of myocardial blood flow under stress conditions. The procedure makes it possible to predict myocardial perfusion under stress with high accuracy.

Technical features

The invention (TRL 6) consists of the development and implementation of a method of parameter estimation of a mathematical model for approximating the equations describing the process of cardiac perfusion under stress. The mathematical model (already tested on patients) has been proposed and analyzed, but its actual use can be carried out only because of two factors:The first is the patient-specific estimation of its parameters. This calibration part is the basis of the patent idea. Specifically, parameter estimation is carried out in 2 steps:

• A first one that introduces cues derived from the analysis of experimental perfusion studies and the second one that uses patient flow information, for the time being extracted from the perfusion maps themselves obtained from CT-stress.
• The second is concerned with the adaptation of geometric input data (acquired under resting conditions from CT images) and flow data to the stress condition by their adaptation to that condition.

Possible Applications

• CT devices;
• Perfusion map estimates constrained by the study of how to obtain patient flow information by alternative CT-stress route.

Advantages

• It allows myocardial perfusion under stress to be predicted with great accuracy;
• Future implementation of the patent idea in CT machines, if the patient’s flow information can be retrieved by other means than stress-CT (e.g., by echo-Doppler), may avoid subjecting the patient to the stress test to obtain the perfusion maps.