11 Diagnosis patient-specific flow simulation and advanced vessel wall analysis

		The process of computational model building beginning with physiological data acquired through MDCT technology with partially-automated segmentation tools to create a meshed flow domain of an abdominal aortic aneurysm for computer-based simulations.

The nearly epidemic expansion of cardiovascular diseases in westernized societies along with the continuous increase of life expectancy rates pose a serious threat to public health and generate the need for novel and more efficient methods of treatment and diagnosis. The basic motivation for developing sophisticated imaging, simulation and instrumentation techniques for the investigation of the vascular hemodynamics of patients lies on the unprecedented capacity of such integrated tools for predictive diagnostics and simulation based pre-operative planning. The applications for such tools encompass the aorta and coronary arteries which are susceptible to the more widespread vascular diseases, such as abdominal aneurysms and atherosclerosis, respectively. There are three confocal axes upon which we propose to structure our investigations into advanced, non- and/or minimally invasive technologies, namely, modern non-invasive cardiovascular imaging and segmentation, patient specific computational hemodynamics and clinical integration. The ultimate goal of this project is the realisation of an intelligent as well as integrated toolset that significantly advances the state of the art in all three abovementioned scientific areas and utilises the full potential of current computational abilities to the aid of current clinical practice and the benefit of patients.

Sub Projects

11/1 Development and clinical evaluation of coronary CT-angiography using intelligent data acquisition strategies

The aim of our initial clinical studies is the assessment of the optimal acquisition and reconstruction techniques for artery imaging using the Multi-Detector Computed Tomography (MDCT) in comparison with current catheter angiography.

11/2 Advanced patient specific computational modeling of the cardiovascular system for surgical planning

This portion of the project encompasses an effort specifically in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) area for the advancement of the current technology used for the numerical simulation of hemodynamics in the large arteries.

11/3 Assessment of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries

The purpose of this research project is the development of an automatic detection and analysis tool for both lipid and calcified plaques within the coronary arteries in MSCT datasets. Besides the extraction of the exact location, the morphology of the atherosclerosis is examined to provide detailed information for the physician to support his diagnosis.

Project Coordination