Gray's Anatomy
Human heart in Gray's Anatomy
Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, has broken new ground in the medical sector, unveiling its 3D-simulated heart.
This cutting-edge use of 3D visualisation on a computer sets the bar for both the study of heart disease and of personalised treatment and could advance how heart conditions are diagnosed and treated.
The world leader in 3D design, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and 3D digital mock up software solutions unveiled the first 3D realistic simulation model of the human organ, developed using the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of heart experts to help combat cardiovascular disease.
Christened the 'Living Heart Project', Dassault Systèmes believes its progress is at the forefront of a new era of diagnosis. Treatment and prevention of heart disease through personalised virtual models.
The heart is powered by Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform's realistic simulation applications. The company's experts have used the very latest in simulation technology provided by SIMULIA applications to develop a comprehensive 3D heart model, capturing the electrical and mechanical behaviour of the heart in what it believed to be the most realistic and vivid way yet seen in a simulation.
A lack of realistic human heart models in 3D is an obstacle to reseachers' abilities to predict the organ's behaviour in humans. The Living Heart Project has attracted a range of medical practitioners and other experts who will have access to simulated 3D models to progress the translation of research into market-driven products and services. Using echocardiogram, MRI and CT scan images, along with cardiac research data, personalised 3D heart simulations will soon allow medical professionals to better understand the behaviour a patient's heart without the need for additional invasive diagnostic procedures.
Dr James Perry, Professor of Pediatrics at UC San Diego and Director of Electrophysiology and Adult CHD at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, said: "We live in an exciting time with the capacity to simulate how a patient’s heart may respond to a wide range of interventions, sparing that individual and many others the uncertainties of their procedural outcome. This is true for those with congenital heart defects, whose lives necessarily include many cardiac procedures, but also for the larger population of people with heart failure, arrhythmias and other structural abnormalities. This technology is a huge advancement that will expedite the translation of our basic scientific understanding of cardiac function into practical applications that promote improved health and safety."
The World Health Organization stated that around the world, 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2008. This represents nearly one-third (30 per cent) of all global deaths. The American Heart Association report, Forecasting the Future of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States, published that the real total direct medical costs of cardiovascular disease will have reached $818.1 billion (£486.5 billion, €597.3 billion) within this same timeframe.
The Living Heart Project is connecting some of the foremost experts in in cardiovascular modelling and simulation to help improve these figures using SIMULIA applications' leading capabilities for simulating complex nonlinear behaviour to produce the most realistic and reliable results possible.
Scott Berkey, CEO of SIMULIA at Dassault Systèmes, remarked: "Dassault Systèmes has been involved in many simulation projects over the years - from automobile design simulations that help avoid serious injury, to studies done alongside leading researchers that study the impact of contact sports on the brain. The collaboration among multidisciplinary experts that lead to the Living Heart Project ensures it will have a lasting impact.
"With the contribution of leading researchers, medical practitioners and regulatory agencies, this project is another example of how our 3DEXPERIENCE platform can help improve product, nature and life."
This realistic human heart simulation will not only become a valuable educational and translational tool to incite research innovation, but may also lead to accelerated regulatory approval cycles, reduced development costs for new and more personalised devices and will ultimately enable early diagnoses and improve treatment outcomes.
Bill Murray, President and CEO of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MIDC) stated: "The Living Heart Project is a leading example of the value and potential for realistic simulation to significantly impact healthcare in a positive way. The MDIC, a public-private partnership with the FDA, is proud to participate in these types of innovative efforts. The Living Heart Project is a model for how collaborations can work to advance regulatory science in the medical device industry and improve patient access to cutting-edge medical technology."
