AI measurement of tiny lung blood vessels in people who smoke
Assessment of microvascular volume in smokers using AI
This project uses artificial intelligence on routine chest CT scans to measure tiny blood vessels in the lungs of people who smoke or have COPD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261248 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project teaches an AI to read your regular chest CT so it can estimate how many tiny blood vessels you have and how well they might be working. The team will apply the algorithm to CT scans from people who smoke or have COPD and compare the AI results with measures of emphysema and lung function. Because the method works on standard non-contrast CT scans, it can be run on many existing images without special perfusion tests. The researchers aim to find earlier signs of vascular injury that may help explain disease progression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are current or former smokers and people with COPD who have had or can provide a recent chest CT scan.
Not a fit: People without chest CT scans, with lung disease from non-smoking causes, or with very advanced disease may not benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow earlier detection of lung blood-vessel damage and better prediction of COPD progression.
How similar studies have performed: Prior CT and perfusion studies link pulmonary vascular damage to COPD and early AI image-analysis work is promising, but using routine non-contrast CT to measure microvascular perfusion is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nardelli, Pietro — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Nardelli, Pietro
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.