Getting to the 3D heart of disease treatment

Scientifically accurate 3D model accelerates device testing and research for treatment of heart disease

Dassault Systèmes’ Living Heart Project offers a high-fidelity scientifically validated 3D simulator of a four-chamber human heart. With this model, device manufacturers, researchers and medical professionals will be able to perform virtual tests and visualise the heart’s response in ways that are not possible with traditional physical testing.

The Living Heart model offers a baseline healthy heart, which can be used to study congenital defects or heart disease by modifying the shape and tissue properties in an easy-to-use software editor. Medical devices can be inserted into the simulator to study their influence on cardiac function, validate their efficacy and predict reliability under a range of operating conditions. For example, coronary stents can be evaluated for optimal type, size and placement to achieve the best performance.

“I had been aware of advances in simulation technology but prior to the Living Heart Project I was unaware that it could address the types of challenges I have as a practicing cardiologist and medical educator,” said Robert Schwengel, clinical assistant professor of medicine, Alpert Medical School, Brown University.

“Having spent time with their 3D experiences, I believe a product like this could be very powerful in helping to educate my patients, students of medicine and current medical professionals, as well as lead to improved diagnostic capabilities and the personalisation of medical therapeutics.

Announced on 2014, the Living Heart Project leverages crowdsourcing of its 45 current members to build its models while protecting the intellectual property of each member. Members include regulatory science focused organisations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC), as well as technology providers, cardiologists, medical device manufacturers and hospitals such as 

St Jude Medical and Mayo Clinic. This crowdsourcing approach has enabled the heart model to be independently tested and included in peer-reviewed scientific journals by project members and has helped Dassault Systèmes deliver the first iteration of the project’s commercial product on an accelerated schedule. This achievement demonstrates the effectiveness of the project’s approach and reaffirms the opportunity for simulation to address meaningful challenges in cardiovascular disease.

“The availability of the first commercial, physics-based simulated heart marks a significant milestone for digital medical tools that will advance cardiovascular science and directly impact the quality of life of patients,” said Scott Berkey, CEO, Simulia, Dassault Systèmes.

“The Living Heart Project is proof that our technology can potentially change the course of therapies through simulation of the human body. We will continue to collaborate with the biomedical community and our partners to provide technology and applications that will enhance the experience for heart patients everywhere.”