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CN-122003702-A - Computer-implemented method, computer program and system for analyzing heart valves

CN122003702ACN 122003702 ACN122003702 ACN 122003702ACN-122003702-A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for analyzing a heart valve (52) of a subject, comprising the steps of (a) providing a 3D or 4D volume dataset (32) of the heart valve (52), (b) providing a valve model (2, 3) of the heart valve (52), wherein the valve model (2, 3) is adapted to the morphology of the heart valve (52) and comprises a closed curve (9, 12) representing the annulus of the valve, wherein a region within the closed curve (9, 12) comprises at least one 2D portion (16), each 2D portion (16) corresponding to a morphological or physiological feature of the heart valve (52), and (c) projecting the valve model (2, 3) into the 3D or 4D volume dataset (32) along a projection direction (36) to define a volume of interest (42), wherein the volume of interest (42) comprises at least one 3D region (26), each 3D region (26) being defined by a projection of a corresponding 2D portion in the at least one 2D portion (16), (D) corresponding to a morphological signature of each 3D region (26). Preferably, a visualization of the cutting plane through the 2D or 3D volume dataset is provided, in which the voxels in at least one 3D region (26) of the volume of interest (42) are represented in a color depending on their label.

Inventors

  • A. BLITZ
  • M. Blankenhagan
  • M. Shrekenberg

Assignees

  • 皇家飞利浦有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241002
Priority Date
20231010

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing a heart valve (52) of a subject, the method comprising the steps of: (a) Providing a 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32) of a heart valve (52) of a subject; (b) -providing a valve model (2, 3) of the heart valve (52), wherein the valve model (2, 3) is adapted to the morphology of the heart valve (52), and Wherein the valve model (2, 3) comprises a closed curve (9, 12) representing the annulus of the valve, wherein the region within the closed curve (9, 12) comprises at least one 2D portion (16), each 2D portion (16) corresponding to a morphological or physiological feature of the heart valve (52), and (C) Projecting the valve model (2, 3) into the 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32) along a projection direction (36) to define a volume of interest (42), wherein the volume of interest (42) comprises at least one 3D region (26), each 3D region (26) being defined by a projection of a corresponding 2D portion of the at least one 2D portion (16); (d) Each voxel in the at least one 3D region (26) is labeled with a label indicative of a morphological or physiological characteristic of the corresponding 2D portion (16).
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: (e) -providing a visualization of the 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32) of the heart valve (52), the visualization comprising information from the projected valve model (2, 3), in particular wherein voxels with different labels are visualized differently.
  3. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein voxels in the at least one 3D region (26) of the volume of interest (42) are represented in a color dependent on their labels.
  4. 4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the visualizing comprises visualizing a 2D cutting plane (44) through the 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32).
  5. 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the voxels within a 3D region of the at least one 3D region (26) are excluded from the visualization and/or represented in neutral color.
  6. 6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein voxels outside the volume of interest (42) are not visualized.
  7. 7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the valve model (2, 3) comprises a plurality of commissures (4) located along the circumference of the closed curve (9), wherein each commissure (4) defines a starting point of a commissure (9) between two leaflets (6) of the heart valve (52), and wherein a 2D portion of the at least one 2D portion is defined in part by at least one commissure (5) and corresponds to a leaflet.
  8. 8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a 2D portion of the at least one 2D portion (16) within the closed curve (9) corresponds to a physiological feature, wherein preferably the physiological feature is a flow phenomenon (7).
  9. 9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the valve model (2, 3) is a 3D valve model (2) of the annulus or a 3D valve model (2) based on the annulus, the 3D valve model of the annulus being positioned and oriented within the 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32) at the position and orientation of the annulus of the heart valve (52), And wherein the projection direction (36) extends at least substantially perpendicular to a plane of the 3D valve model (2) fitted to the annulus.
  10. 10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the valve model (2, 3) is based on or associated with a topology-based 2D model (3) of the heart valve.
  11. 11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a further step of receiving via a user interface (10) user input data for creating or adjusting at least a 2D part (16) within the valve model (2, 3), wherein in particular the topology-based 2D model (3) is displayed to the user and any adjustment of the 2D part (16) by the user to the topology-based 2D model (3) is transferred to the valve model (2).
  12. 12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the visualization is a dynamic 4D visualization of the heart valve (52), and wherein the projection direction (36) of the topology-based 2D (3) model is adjusted according to a movement of the heart valve (52).
  13. 13. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the volume of interest (42) extends into the 3D or 4D volume dataset (32) up to a set height along the projection direction (36), preferably a height proportional to the size of the topology-based 2D (3) model.
  14. 14. A computer program comprising a program code which, when executed on a control unit (16), is configured to perform the method according to any of the preceding claims.
  15. 15. A system (52) for analyzing a heart valve, comprising a user interface configured to visualize a 3D or 4D volumetric dataset (32), and a control unit configured to perform the method according to any of claims 1 to 13.

Description

Computer-implemented method, computer program and system for analyzing heart valves Technical Field The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for analyzing a heart valve of a subject, a computer program and a system for analyzing a heart valve. Background Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is a common method of visualizing the human heart, particularly heart valves. When 3D ultrasound images of the moving heart are acquired over a period of time, video slices (also referred to as 3D echo slices) are produced, which is known as a four-dimensional (4D) echocardiogram. 3D or 4D echocardiography is commonly used to plan and perform minimally invasive cardiac procedures, such as transcatheter valve procedures. For example, valve repair by leaflet clamping is becoming a common method of reducing regurgitant blood flow and significantly improving patient quality of life. However, such procedures require very careful and accurate planning. Interventional cardiologists need to know which leaflets they must hold during surgery. Thus, there is a need for good planning tools, as well as good methods of visualizing heart valves during interventional procedures. It is known to provide volume rendered images of the heart and portions thereof, such as heart valves. However, many surgeons and echocardiographers still prefer to rely on two-dimensional (2D) planes through 3D ultrasound images. However, due to the complexity of the anatomy of the heart valve, maintaining orientation relative to the valve anatomy on such 2D planes can be extremely difficult. US2005187461a discloses a computerized method of facilitating cardiac intervention comprising inputting patient data, creating a computerized interaction model of the heart based on the patient data, simulating at least one proposed cardiac intervention treatment by adding or deleting features to the model, and determining the effect of the proposed cardiac simulation on the whole model. The simulation may be repeated to allow the user to determine the optimal cardiac intervention. In addition, templates may be created from the model to be used as guidance during cardiac interventions. US2020082531A1 shows an apparatus for dynamically evaluating a moving object from a sequence of successive volumetric image frames of the moving object by identifying the object of interest in at least one image of the sequence, segmenting the object to identify an object contour, propagating the identified object contour to other images of the sequence, and performing a dynamic analysis of the object based on the propagated object contour. Tomasso Mansi et al, white paper "Quantifying HEART VALVES: from Diagnostic to Personalized VALVE REPAIR" at 2016, 4, describe a method of valve modeling and editing. Among other things, it is proposed to provide a combination of editing views (such as parallel cuts or rotational cuts) and smart grid editing. EP 3683773 A1 relates to a method of visualizing dynamic anatomy, comprising the steps of: a) Providing a sequence of three-dimensional medical images spanning a time period, each three-dimensional medical image of the sequence showing a dynamic anatomy at a point in time during the time period; b) Providing a dynamic model of at least a portion of the anatomical structure, wherein the dynamic model has been derived from and registered with the sequence of three-dimensional medical images; c) Determining a volume of interest containing an anatomical feature of interest within each of the three-dimensional images, wherein the volume of interest follows a position and/or shape of the anatomical feature of interest across the time period, and D) Providing a three-dimensional visualization environment for displaying the dynamic anatomy across the time period, wherein the visualization corresponding to a particular point in time within the time period comprises: (i) A volume rendering of the volume of interest of the three-dimensional image corresponding to the particular point in time, and (Ii) The dynamic model is visualized at the specific point in time and in the same coordinate system as the volume rendering of the volume of interest. However, assessing the topology of the heart valve remains cumbersome and thus preparing the surgical procedure remains difficult. Object of the invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which can provide a better and more intuitive way to evaluate anatomical structures, in particular structures like heart valves, which are complex and difficult to visualize. Disclosure of Invention The invention solves this problem with a computer-implemented method comprising the features of claim 1, with a computer program comprising the features of claim 14 and with a system comprising the features of claim 15. According to one aspect, the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for analyzing a heart valve of a subject, the method comprisin