A model of the topology of coronary perfusion based on self-organizing maps

A model of the topology of coronary perfusion based on the theory of self-organizing maps is proposed. The model is based on general physical assumptions about the basic mechanisms of the spatial organization of arterial networks. On the basis of such assumptions the authors obtain a cost functional whose optimization leads to the computation of model parameters. Application to X-ray coronary angiography is described, a particular attention being paid to the assessment of the regions potentially perfused by each vessel. Moreover, in order to account for the potential adaptation of the heart vascular tree to pathological conditions such as vessel lumen reduction, the self-adaptation capabilities of the proposed model are analyzed. Preliminary results from clinical data are described.