Patent EP-1905466-A1 (EP)
Inventor: RODRIGUEZ PONCE MARIA IMMACULA
IPC: G16Z99/00
Filed: 2006-09-28
Abstract: The method for determining an infusion and/or injection region for infusing and/or injecting a medical drug into a heterogeneous body structure to achieve a distribution of the medical drug in a desired target region of the heterogeneous body structure, comprises determining the infusion and/or injection region from which the medical drug is to be transported through the heterogeneous body structure to the target region as a function of a property of the body structure and a position of the desired target region. The method for determining an infusion and/or injection region for infusing and/or injecting a medical drug into a heterogeneous body structure to achieve a distribution of the medical drug in a desired target region of the heterogeneous body structure, comprises determining the infusion and/or injection region from which the medical drug is to be transported through the heterogeneous body structure to the target region as a function of a property of the body structure and a position of the desired target region, determining a loss of the drug in segments of the body structure based on the property of the body structure, calculating a probability for the connectivity and/or loss of the drug for the segments, determining the suitable segments for an injection to achieve a predetermined distribution of the drug in the target region using the calculated probability, visually displaying a possible drug transport paths from the determined infusion and/or injection region to the target region, a probability for each segments of the heterogeneous body structure that a distribution of the medical drug in the target region will be achieved when infusing and/or injecting the drug into the corresponding segments, a connectivity of adjacent segments, a loss of the drug in segments or a possible segments of the heterogeneous body structure suitable for the injection, calculating an expected ratio between a concentration and/or amount of the medical drug in the target region and an injected concentration and/or amount of the medical drug as a function of property of the heterogeneous body structure and as a function of the determined infusion and/or injection region, calculating an expected amount of the medical drug absorbed by cells in the target region as a whole or per unit of time based on a calculated concentration for the target region drug absorption properties of cells in the target region, and planning the infusion and/or injection based on the determined infusion and/or injection region. The property of the heterogeneous body structure influences a spatial distribution of the medical drug in the heterogeneous body structure, which comprises biological tissue. The property of the heterogeneous body structure comprises a drug transport property and/or drug loss property that spatially varies in the heterogeneous body structure. The property of the heterogeneous body structure comprises determining a connectivity of segments of the heterogeneous body structure that influence the transport of the drug based on the property, and determining the infusion and/or injection region. The determination of the infusion and/or injection region comprises basing the determination on the connectivity of the segments. The step of determining the connectivity of segments of the heterogeneous body structure comprises basing the connectivity on permeability and/or hydraulic conductivity properties of the segments, and basing the determination on an arrangement, size and/or shape of the segments and/or by a number of adjacent segments. The step of determining the infusion and/or injection region comprises basing the determination on the loss of the drug in the segments. The step of determining the loss of the drug comprises basing the loss on permeability and/or hydraulic conductivity properties of the segments. The step of calculating the expected ratio between the concentration and/or amount of the medical drug comprises calculating the expected ratio as a function of the drug property and/or the injection property. The properties of the heterogeneous body structure comprises properties that influence the transport of the medical drug and/or drug molecules, which are transportable by fluid in the body structure based on body fluid transport processes, a course and position of drains for the medical drug in the body structure, properties that influence the absorption of the medical drug in the body structure, properties that influence the diffusion of the medical drug in the target region, hydraulic conductivity of parts of the body structure that run in the body structure, where the parts are suitable for transporting the drug to adjacent parts of the body structure, transport capacity of parts of the body structure for the drug, a loss of the drug through parts of the body structure that differ in biological properties, percolation properties of the body structure or a provided position of the patient. The hydraulic conductivity of parts of the body structure comprises vessels, nerve cords, sulci, hollow spaces and/or cells. The transport capacity of parts of the body structure for the drug comprises the transport capacity of vessels, nerve cords, sulci and/or hollow spaces. The loss of the drug through parts of the body structure that differ in biological properties comprise loss through cells, vessels, nerve cords, sulci and/or hollow spaces. Independent claims are included for: (1) a computer program; and (2) a device for determining an infusion and/or injection region for infusing and/or injecting a medical drug into a heterogeneous body structure to achieve a distribution of the medical drug in a desired target region of the body structure.