Fractional Flow Reserve: Comparison between Invasive and Non-invasive Methods for Calculation of FFR

The heart disease that affects millions of people worldwide is coronary artery disease. It is caused by a narrowing or blocking of the arteries due to plaque which restricts blood flow, and reduces the amount of oxygen to the heart. Angiogram as a tool, which represents an X-ray examination of the blood vessels in the heart, is traditional tool that aid physicians in the treatment of disease. The severity of blood flow blockages in the coronary arteries is indicated by a fractional flow reserve (FFR) and allows physicians to identify which specific lesion or lesions are responsible for patient ischemia. In this paper, the mathematical model for measuring FFR is derived, and compared with results that were obtained from simulations and angiographically based methods. This analytical model and simulations help to measure values of FFR, by non-invasive methods, only by using reconstructed geometries of coronary arteries with stenosis.