Computer Simulations and Medical Imaging Towards Healing Damaged Hearts.

计算机模拟和医学成像治愈受损的心脏。

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03738
• 负责人: Khan, MuhammadOwais
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: Ryerson University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=752553
• 关键词: Computer; Simulations; Medical; Imaging; Towards

Our heart is a remarkable pump that beats every second of our lives to provide oxygen-rich blood to our body. However, certain diseases, such as heart attack, can initiate a dangerous and vicious cycle that can impede the pumping function of the heart, generally known as a heart failure. This disease affects 3-5% of adult population but is particularly fatal in older adults, with 50% dying within 5 years of diagnosis, which costs the Canadian economy $2.8 Billion each year. Although heart failure is a complex disease, and involves many cellular and molecular mechanisms, the global alterations are linked to changes in biomechanical conditions, such as fluid and structural stresses. Unfortunately, routine medical images, such as CTA or MRI, are unable to provide these stresses. Hence, most clinical decisions are based on anatomical and population-averaged biomarkers. The lack of patient-tailored approaches, optimized with engineering design, ultimately lead to suboptimal interventions and long-term complications. In the proposed research, we will investigate the role that biomechanical stresses play in heart failure, and develop computational and experimental methods to provide patient-tailored treatment options. Towards these goals, we will pursue three initiatives. First, we will develop novel computational simulation methods that integrate physical equations into medical images to estimate biomechanical stresses, which will ultimately allow us to virtually perform interventions to optimize treatment planning. Second initiative will focus on validation of the simulation methods. In this initiative, we will develop realistic 3D printed hearts, and attach these to a hydraulic pump. By experimentally simulating flow through these 3D printed hearts, we will obtain velocity, pressures and other quantities to compare against computational simulation methods. The experimental platform will open up opportunities to perform pre-surgical training and also test novel medical devices (e.g. heart valves) before implanting in patients. The third initiative will explore how distinct biomechanical stresses alter heart function. First, we will induce heart failure in mice and study the changes in heart function using ultrasound system. Second, we will fabricate a system to house freshly harvested mice hearts, and impose distinct biomechanical stresses through a pump. These methods will allow us to explore how variation in biomechanical stresses (e.g. turbulent vs smooth) alter heart tissue structure. Biomechanical stresses are thought to play a key role in heart disease and failure; however, Canadian and global health industry lacks patient-tailored methodologies that can estimate these stresses and utilize them in clinical decision-making. The proposed basic engineering research will provide engineers and doctors with patient-tailored approaches to better diagnose and treat, and ultimately improve outcomes of heart failure patients.

我们的心脏是一个杰出的泵，它每秒钟都会击败每一秒钟，以向我们的体内提供丰富的氧气血液。但是，某些疾病（例如心脏病发作）可能会引发危险而恶性的循环，该循环可能阻碍心脏的抽水功能，通常称为心力衰竭。这种疾病影响了3-5％的成年人口，但在老年人中尤为致命，在诊断后的5年内死亡50％，每年损失加拿大经济28亿加元。 尽管心力衰竭是一种复杂的疾病，并且涉及许多细胞和分子机制，但全球变化与生物力学条件的变化有关，例如液体和结构应激。不幸的是，常规医学图像（例如CTA或MRI）无法提供这些压力。因此，大多数临床决策基于解剖学和人口平均生物标志物。缺乏通过工程设计优化的患者量身定年方法，最终导致了次优干预措施和长期并发症。 在拟议的研究中，我们将研究生物力学应力在心力衰竭中起着作用，并开发计算和实验方法来提供患者量身定年的治疗方案。为了实现这些目标，我们将采取三项倡议。首先，我们将开发新型的计算模拟方法，将物理方程集成到医学图像中以估计生物力学应力，这最终将使我们能够实际上执行干预措施以优化治疗计划。 第二项倡议将集中于模拟方法的验证。在此计划中，我们将开发现实的3D印刷心脏，并将其连接到液压泵上。通过实验模拟通过这些3D打印心脏的流动，我们将获得速度，压力和其他数量，以与计算模拟方法进行比较。实验平台将在植入患者之前，为进行手术前训练并测试新的医疗设备（例如心脏瓣膜）的机会。 第三个计划将探讨不同的生物力学应力如何改变心脏功能。首先，我们将诱导小鼠心力衰竭，并使用超声系统研究心脏功能的变化。其次，我们将制造一个系统来容纳新鲜收获的小鼠心脏，并通过泵施加不同的生物力学应力。这些方法将使我们能够探索生物力学应力的变化（例如湍流与平滑）如何改变心脏组织结构。 人们认为生物力学应力在心脏病和衰竭中起着关键作用。但是，加拿大和全球卫生行业缺乏可以估算这些压力并将其用于临床决策的患者量身定年方法。拟议的基本工程研究将为工程师和医生提供更好的诊断和治疗方法，并最终改善心力衰竭患者的预后。