US 12,251,202 B2
System and method for evaluating blood flow in a vessel
Adrian F. Warner, Delafield, WI (US); Daniel R. Schneidewend, Menomonee Falls, WI (US); Daniel J. Nowicki, Cedarburg, WI (US); and Joel Q. Xue, Brown Deer, WI (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Wauwatosa, WI (US)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/872,593.
Application 17/872,593 is a continuation of application No. 16/019,229, filed on Jun. 26, 2018, granted, now 11,395,597.
Prior Publication US 2022/0354371 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/026 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/0215 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0215 (2013.01) [A61B 5/026 (2013.01); A61B 5/6852 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0002 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for evaluating blood flow in a vessel of a patient, the system comprising:
a catheter containing a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor and configured to simultaneously measure pressure data within a vessel on a first side of a stenosis via the first pressure sensor and a second side of the stenosis via the second pressure sensor;
wherein the pressure data includes a first series of pressure measurements from the first pressure sensor positioned on the first side of the stenosis and a second series of pressure measurements from the second pressure sensor positioned on the second side of the stenosis;
a fractional flow reserve (FFR) calculation module executable on one or more processors and configured to:
calculate a stability index for each of two or more portions of the pressure data, wherein the stability index for each of the two or more portions of the pressure data indicates at least one of heart rate stability and catheter stability for a respective portion of the pressure data;
identify an optimal time window for calculating FFR based on the pressure data, wherein the optimal time window is determined based on the stability index for each of the two or more portions of the pressure data; and
calculate a FFR value based on the pressure data in the optimal time window;
wherein the FFR value is displayed on a user interface;
wherein the FFR calculation module is further configured to calculate a catheter instability indicator based on each of the two or more portions of the pressure data and administering a treatment to the patient when the FFR is less than a threshold FFR value;
wherein the treatment is performing a revascularization, performing an angioplasty, or inserting a stent.