RESEARCH TEAM

Gaetano Burriesci (Supervisor)

Simulation of cardiovascular systems

Silvia Schievano ‘ (Supervisor)

Cardiovascular modelling

Wenbo Zhou (Research Student)

Project investigator

Claudio Capelli ‘

Cardiovascular modelling

Mun Hong Cheang “

Principal Researcher

Morten ØJ Jensen *

In vitro simulation of the mitral valve

Kevin Lau **

Numerical simulation of the mitral valve

Antonis Pantazis “

Clinical Supervision

Georgia Preston-Maher

Simulation of mitral valve therapies

Ryo Torii

Numerical simulation of the mitral valve

Jake Salmon

Development of in vitro testing system

‘ UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science

“ UCL Heart Hospital

1. *Aarhus University, Denmark
   

** King’s College London, UK

SPONSORED BY:

Mitral regurgitation is a common disease for which the preferred treatment is mitral repair. There are numerous types of repair techniques. Due to significant anatomical heterogeneity in mitral pathology (even within mitral regurgitation categorised as similar in aetiology and mechanism), it is often difficult to determine which technique is best for reducing mitral regurgitation for an individual patient.  Hence, it is not uncommon for surgeons to start with an initial surgical technique and adopt further surgical modifications (e.g. additional insertion of annular ring) in order to achieve sufficient reduction in mitral regurgitation. This prolongs procedural time, increases peri-operative risks and delivers unpredictable surgical results.

In collaboration with the UCL Cardiovascular Imaging Centre, UCLH Heart Hospital, and Philips Healthcare, we are building physical experimental models that reflect how a pathological mitral valve malfunctions under different physiological conditions, in order to better understand the contributory role of each component of the mitral apparatus. The physical models of dysfunctional mitral valves will subsequently be used to validate in silico models of the mitral valve.

This model and insight will provide the platform for developing future valid CFD models to predict treatment outcome, and design new treatments for mitral pathology.

MAIN RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Lau, K. D., Díaz-Zuccarini, V., Scambler, P., Burriesci, G. (2011). Fluid-structure interaction study of the edge-to-edge repair technique on the mitral valve. Journal of Biomechanics 44(13), 2409-2417.

Lau, K., Diaz-Zuccarini, V., Scambler, P., Burriesci, G. (2010). Mitral Valve dynamics in structural and fluid-structure interaction models. Medical Engineering and Physics 32(9-2), 1057-1064.

Lau, K. D., Diaz, V., Burriesci, G., Scambler, P. (2009). Modelling and simulation of the mitral valve under physiological and pathological conditions: a primer study. International Journal of Artificial Organs 32(7), 400.

Carmody, C. J., Burriesci, G., Howard, I. C., Patterson, E. A. (2006). An approach to the simulation of fluid-structure interaction in the aortic valve. Journal of Biomechanics 39(1), 158-169.

Bergamasco, G., Burriesci, G., Stacchino, C. (2006). Annuloplasty prosthesis. Patent EP1719476 B1

Burriesci, G., Bergamasco, G. (2009). Annuloplasty prosthesis with an auxetic structure. Patent EP1803420 B1

Mitral Valve Simulation

understanding physiology to improve treatments