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Arnold R, Prassl AJ, Neic A, Thaler F, Augustin CM, Gsell MAF, Gillette K, Manninger M, Scherr D, Plank G. pyCEPS: A cross-platform electroanatomic mapping data to computational model conversion platform for the calibration of digital twin models of cardiac electrophysiology. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 254:108299. [PMID: 38959599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2024.108299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Data from electro-anatomical mapping (EAM) systems are playing an increasingly important role in computational modeling studies for the patient-specific calibration of digital twin models. However, data exported from commercial EAM systems are challenging to access and parse. Converting to data formats that are easily amenable to be viewed and analyzed with commonly used cardiac simulation software tools such as openCARP remains challenging. We therefore developed an open-source platform, pyCEPS, for parsing and converting clinical EAM data conveniently to standard formats widely adopted within the cardiac modeling community. METHODS AND RESULTS pyCEPS is an open-source Python-based platform providing the following functions: (i) access and interrogate the EAM data exported from clinical mapping systems; (ii) efficient browsing of EAM data to preview mapping procedures, electrograms (EGMs), and electro-cardiograms (ECGs); (iii) conversion to modeling formats according to the openCARP standard, to be amenable to analysis with standard tools and advanced workflows as used for in silico EAM data. Documentation and training material to facilitate access to this complementary research tool for new users is provided. We describe the technological underpinnings and demonstrate the capabilities of pyCEPS first, and showcase its use in an exemplary modeling application where we use clinical imaging data to build a patient-specific anatomical model. CONCLUSION With pyCEPS we offer an open-source framework for accessing EAM data, and converting these to cardiac modeling standard formats. pyCEPS provides the core functionality needed to integrate EAM data in cardiac modeling research. We detail how pyCEPS could be integrated into model calibration workflows facilitating the calibration of a computational model based on EAM data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Arnold
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anton J Prassl
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Franz Thaler
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Institute of Computer Graphics and Vision, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph M Augustin
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Matthias A F Gsell
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Karli Gillette
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Martin Manninger
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel Scherr
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gernot Plank
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; NumeriCor GmbH, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria.
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Huang Y, Dai H, Xu J, Wei R, Sun L, Guo Y, Guo J, Bian J. Evolution of digital twins in precision health applications: a scoping review study. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4612942. [PMID: 39149471 PMCID: PMC11326392 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4612942/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
An increasing amount of research is incorporating the concept of Digital twin (DT) in biomedical and health care applications. This scoping review aims to summarize existing research and identify gaps in the development and use of DTs in the health care domain. The focus of this study lies on summarizing: the different types of DTs, the techniques employed in DT development, the DT applications in health care, and the data resources used for creating DTs. We identified fifty studies, which mainly focused on creating organ- (n=15) and patient-specific twins (n=30). The research predominantly centers on cardiology, endocrinology, orthopedics, and infectious diseases. Only a few studies used real-world datasets for developing their DTs. However, there remain unresolved questions and promising directions that require further exploration. This review provides valuable reference material and insights for researchers on DTs in health care and highlights gaps and unmet needs in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Huang
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hao Dai
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jie Xu
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ruoqi Wei
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Leyang Sun
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yi Guo
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jingchuan Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jiang Bian
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Jiang X, Missel R, Toloubidokhti M, Gillette K, Prassl AJ, Plank G, Horacek BM, Sapp JL, Wang L. Hybrid Neural State-Space Modeling for Supervised and Unsupervised Electrocardiographic Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2024; 43:2733-2744. [PMID: 38478452 PMCID: PMC11330696 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2024.3377094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
State-space modeling (SSM) provides a general framework for many image reconstruction tasks. Error in a priori physiological knowledge of the imaging physics, can bring incorrectness to solutions. Modern deep-learning approaches show great promise but lack interpretability and rely on large amounts of labeled data. In this paper, we present a novel hybrid SSM framework for electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) to leverage the advantage of state-space formulations in data-driven learning. We first leverage the physics-based forward operator to supervise the learning. We then introduce neural modeling of the transition function and the associated Bayesian filtering strategy. We applied the hybrid SSM framework to reconstruct electrical activity on the heart surface from body-surface potentials. In unsupervised settings of both in-silico and in-vivo data without cardiac electrical activity as the ground truth to supervise the learning, we demonstrated improved ECGI performances of the hybrid SSM framework trained from a small number of ECG observations in comparison to the fixed SSM. We further demonstrated that, when in-silico simulation data becomes available, mixed supervised and unsupervised training of the hybrid SSM achieved a further 40.6% and 45.6% improvements, respectively, in comparison to traditional ECGI baselines and supervised data-driven ECGI baselines for localizing the origin of ventricular activations in real data.
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Trayanova NA, Lyon A, Shade J, Heijman J. Computational modeling of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis: toward clinical translation. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1265-1333. [PMID: 38153307 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00017.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The complexity of cardiac electrophysiology, involving dynamic changes in numerous components across multiple spatial (from ion channel to organ) and temporal (from milliseconds to days) scales, makes an intuitive or empirical analysis of cardiac arrhythmogenesis challenging. Multiscale mechanistic computational models of cardiac electrophysiology provide precise control over individual parameters, and their reproducibility enables a thorough assessment of arrhythmia mechanisms. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of models of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias, from the single cell to the organ level, and how they can be leveraged to better understand rhythm disorders in cardiac disease and to improve heart patient care. Key issues related to model development based on experimental data are discussed, and major families of human cardiomyocyte models and their applications are highlighted. An overview of organ-level computational modeling of cardiac electrophysiology and its clinical applications in personalized arrhythmia risk assessment and patient-specific therapy of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias is provided. The advancements presented here highlight how patient-specific computational models of the heart reconstructed from patient data have achieved success in predicting risk of sudden cardiac death and guiding optimal treatments of heart rhythm disorders. Finally, an outlook toward potential future advances, including the combination of mechanistic modeling and machine learning/artificial intelligence, is provided. As the field of cardiology is embarking on a journey toward precision medicine, personalized modeling of the heart is expected to become a key technology to guide pharmaceutical therapy, deployment of devices, and surgical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A Trayanova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Aurore Lyon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Heart and Lungs, Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Julie Shade
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Gsell MAF, Neic A, Bishop MJ, Gillette K, Prassl AJ, Augustin CM, Vigmond EJ, Plank G. ForCEPSS-A framework for cardiac electrophysiology simulations standardization. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 251:108189. [PMID: 38728827 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2024.108189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Simulation of cardiac electrophysiology (CEP) is an important research tool that is increasingly being adopted in industrial and clinical applications. Typical workflows for CEP simulation consist of a sequence of processing stages starting with building an anatomical model and then calibrating its electrophysiological properties to match observable data. While the calibration stages are common and generalizable, most CEP studies re-implement these steps in complex and highly variable workflows. This lack of standardization renders the execution of computational CEP studies in an efficient, robust, and reproducible manner a significant challenge. Here, we propose ForCEPSS as an efficient and robust, yet flexible, software framework for standardizing CEP simulation studies. METHODS AND RESULTS Key processing stages of CEP simulation studies are identified and implemented in a standardized workflow that builds on openCARP1 Plank et al. (2021) and the Python-based carputils2 framework. Stages include (i) the definition and initialization of action potential phenotypes, (ii) the tissue scale calibration of conduction properties, (iii) the functional initialization to approximate a limit cycle corresponding to the dynamic reference state according to an experimental protocol, and, (iv) the execution of the CEP study where the electrophysiological response to a perturbation of the limit cycle is probed. As an exemplar application, we employ ForCEPSS to prepare a CEP study according to the Virtual Arrhythmia Risk Prediction protocol used for investigating the arrhythmogenic risk of developing infarct-related ventricular tachycardia (VT) in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. We demonstrate that ForCEPSS enables a fully automated execution of all stages of this complex protocol. CONCLUSION ForCEPSS offers a novel comprehensive, standardized, and automated CEP simulation workflow. The high degree of automation accelerates the execution of CEP simulation studies, reduces errors, improves robustness, and makes CEP studies reproducible. Verification of simulation studies within the CEP modeling community is thus possible. As such, ForCEPSS makes an important contribution towards increasing transparency, standardization, and reproducibility of in silico CEP experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias A F Gsell
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Karli Gillette
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anton J Prassl
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph M Augustin
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Edward J Vigmond
- Liryc Cardiac Modeling Institute, Fondation Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Bordeaux INP, IMB, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gernot Plank
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria.
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6
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Jaffery OA, Melki L, Slabaugh G, Good WW, Roney CH. A Review of Personalised Cardiac Computational Modelling Using Electroanatomical Mapping Data. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev 2024; 13:e08. [PMID: 38807744 PMCID: PMC11131150 DOI: 10.15420/aer.2023.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Computational models of cardiac electrophysiology have gradually matured during the past few decades and are now being personalised to provide patient-specific therapy guidance for improving suboptimal treatment outcomes. The predictive features of these personalised electrophysiology models hold the promise of providing optimal treatment planning, which is currently limited in the clinic owing to reliance on a population-based or average patient approach. The generation of a personalised electrophysiology model entails a sequence of steps for which a range of activation mapping, calibration methods and therapy simulation pipelines have been suggested. However, the optimal methods that can potentially constitute a clinically relevant in silico treatment are still being investigated and face limitations, such as uncertainty of electroanatomical data recordings, generation and calibration of models within clinical timelines and requirements to validate or benchmark the recovered tissue parameters. This paper is aimed at reporting techniques on the personalisation of cardiac computational models, with a focus on calibrating cardiac tissue conductivity based on electroanatomical mapping data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ovais A Jaffery
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
| | - Lea Melki
- R&D Algorithms, Acutus Medical Carlsbad, CA, US
| | - Gregory Slabaugh
- Digital Environment Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
| | | | - Caroline H Roney
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
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7
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Camps J, Berg LA, Wang ZJ, Sebastian R, Riebel LL, Doste R, Zhou X, Sachetto R, Coleman J, Lawson B, Grau V, Burrage K, Bueno-Orovio A, Weber Dos Santos R, Rodriguez B. Digital twinning of the human ventricular activation sequence to Clinical 12-lead ECGs and magnetic resonance imaging using realistic Purkinje networks for in silico clinical trials. Med Image Anal 2024; 94:103108. [PMID: 38447244 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2024.103108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Cardiac in silico clinical trials can virtually assess the safety and efficacy of therapies using human-based modelling and simulation. These technologies can provide mechanistic explanations for clinically observed pathological behaviour. Designing virtual cohorts for in silico trials requires exploiting clinical data to capture the physiological variability in the human population. The clinical characterisation of ventricular activation and the Purkinje network is challenging, especially non-invasively. Our study aims to present a novel digital twinning pipeline that can efficiently generate and integrate Purkinje networks into human multiscale biventricular models based on subject-specific clinical 12-lead electrocardiogram and magnetic resonance recordings. Essential novel features of the pipeline are the human-based Purkinje network generation method, personalisation considering ECG R wave progression as well as QRS morphology, and translation from reduced-order Eikonal models to equivalent biophysically-detailed monodomain ones. We demonstrate ECG simulations in line with clinical data with clinical image-based multiscale models with Purkinje in four control subjects and two hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients (simulated and clinical QRS complexes with Pearson's correlation coefficients > 0.7). Our methods also considered possible differences in the density of Purkinje myocardial junctions in the Eikonal-based inference as regional conduction velocities. These differences translated into regional coupling effects between Purkinje and myocardial models in the monodomain formulation. In summary, we demonstrate a digital twin pipeline enabling simulations yielding clinically consistent ECGs with clinical CMR image-based biventricular multiscale models, including personalised Purkinje in healthy and cardiac disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Camps
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | - Ruben Doste
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xin Zhou
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Sachetto
- Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, São João del Rei, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Brodie Lawson
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Kevin Burrage
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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8
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Gerach T, Loewe A. Differential effects of mechano-electric feedback mechanisms on whole-heart activation, repolarization, and tension. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38185911 DOI: 10.1113/jp285022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The human heart is subject to highly variable amounts of strain during day-to-day activities and needs to adapt to a wide range of physiological demands. This adaptation is driven by an autoregulatory loop that includes both electrical and the mechanical components. In particular, mechanical forces are known to feed back into the cardiac electrophysiology system, which can result in pro- and anti-arrhythmic effects. Despite the widespread use of computational modelling and simulation for cardiac electrophysiology research, the majority of in silico experiments ignore this mechano-electric feedback entirely due to the high computational cost associated with solving cardiac mechanics. In this study, we therefore use an electromechanically coupled whole-heart model to investigate the differential and combined effects of electromechanical feedback mechanisms with a focus on their physiological relevance during sinus rhythm. In particular, we consider troponin-bound calcium, the effect of deformation on the tissue diffusion tensor, and stretch-activated channels. We found that activation of the myocardium was only significantly affected when including deformation into the diffusion term of the monodomain equation. Repolarization, on the other hand, was influenced by both troponin-bound calcium and stretch-activated channels and resulted in steeper repolarization gradients in the atria. The latter also caused afterdepolarizations in the atria. Due to its central role for tension development, calcium bound to troponin affected stroke volume and pressure. In conclusion, we found that mechano-electric feedback changes activation and repolarization patterns throughout the heart during sinus rhythm and lead to a markedly more heterogeneous electrophysiological substrate. KEY POINTS: The electrophysiological and mechanical function of the heart are tightly interrelated by excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in the forward direction and mechano-electric feedback (MEF) in the reverse direction. While ECC is considered in many state-of-the-art computational models of cardiac electromechanics, less is known about the effect of different MEF mechanisms. Accounting for calcium bound to troponin increases stroke volume and delays repolarization. Geometry-mediated MEF leads to more heterogeneous activation and repolarization with steeper gradients. Both effects combine in an additive way. Non-selective stretch-activated channels as an additional MEF mechanism lead to heterogeneous diastolic transmembrane voltage, higher developed tension and delayed repolarization or afterdepolarizations in highly stretched parts of the atria. The differential and combined effects of these three MEF mechanisms during sinus rhythm activation in a human four-chamber heart model may have implications for arrhythmogenesis, both in terms of substrate (repolarization gradients) and triggers (ectopy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Gerach
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Axel Loewe
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
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9
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Qian S, Ugurlu D, Fairweather E, Strocchi M, Toso LD, Deng Y, Plank G, Vigmond E, Razavi R, Young A, Lamata P, Bishop M, Niederer S. Developing Cardiac Digital Twins at Scale: Insights from Personalised Myocardial Conduction Velocity. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.12.05.23299435. [PMID: 38106072 PMCID: PMC10723499 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.23299435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Large-cohort studies using cardiovascular imaging and diagnostic datasets have assessed cardiac anatomy, function, and outcomes, but typically do not reveal underlying biological mechanisms. Cardiac digital twins (CDTs) provide personalized physics- and physiology-constrained in-silico representations, enabling inference of multi-scale properties tied to these mechanisms. We constructed 3464 anatomically-accurate CDTs using cardiac magnetic resonance images from UK biobank and personalised their myocardial conduction velocities (CVs) from electrocardiograms (ECG), through an automated framework. We found well-known sex-specific differences in QRS duration were fully explained by myocardial anatomy, as CV remained consistent across sexes. Conversely, significant associations of CV with ageing and increased BMI suggest myocardial tissue remodelling. Novel associations were observed with left ventricular ejection fraction and mental-health phenotypes, through a phenome-wide association study, and CV was also linked with adverse clinical outcomes. Our study highlights the utility of population-based CDTs in assessing intersubject variability and uncovering strong links with mental health.
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Africa PC, Piersanti R, Regazzoni F, Bucelli M, Salvador M, Fedele M, Pagani S, Dede' L, Quarteroni A. lifex-ep: a robust and efficient software for cardiac electrophysiology simulations. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:389. [PMID: 37828428 PMCID: PMC10571323 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05513-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Simulating the cardiac function requires the numerical solution of multi-physics and multi-scale mathematical models. This underscores the need for streamlined, accurate, and high-performance computational tools. Despite the dedicated endeavors of various research teams, comprehensive and user-friendly software programs for cardiac simulations, capable of accurately replicating both normal and pathological conditions, are still in the process of achieving full maturity within the scientific community. RESULTS This work introduces [Formula: see text]-ep, a publicly available software for numerical simulations of the electrophysiology activity of the cardiac muscle, under both normal and pathological conditions. [Formula: see text]-ep employs the monodomain equation to model the heart's electrical activity. It incorporates both phenomenological and second-generation ionic models. These models are discretized using the Finite Element method on tetrahedral or hexahedral meshes. Additionally, [Formula: see text]-ep integrates the generation of myocardial fibers based on Laplace-Dirichlet Rule-Based Methods, previously released in Africa et al., 2023, within [Formula: see text]-fiber. As an alternative, users can also choose to import myofibers from a file. This paper provides a concise overview of the mathematical models and numerical methods underlying [Formula: see text]-ep, along with comprehensive implementation details and instructions for users. [Formula: see text]-ep features exceptional parallel speedup, scaling efficiently when using up to thousands of cores, and its implementation has been verified against an established benchmark problem for computational electrophysiology. We showcase the key features of [Formula: see text]-ep through various idealized and realistic simulations conducted in both normal and pathological scenarios. Furthermore, the software offers a user-friendly and flexible interface, simplifying the setup of simulations using self-documenting parameter files. CONCLUSIONS [Formula: see text]-ep provides easy access to cardiac electrophysiology simulations for a wide user community. It offers a computational tool that integrates models and accurate methods for simulating cardiac electrophysiology within a high-performance framework, while maintaining a user-friendly interface. [Formula: see text]-ep represents a valuable tool for conducting in silico patient-specific simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Claudio Africa
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
- mathLab, Mathematics Area, SISSA International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - Roberto Piersanti
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.
| | | | - Michele Bucelli
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Salvador
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Marco Fedele
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Pagani
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Dede'
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alfio Quarteroni
- MOX, Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Institute of Mathematics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Professor emeritus, Switzerland
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11
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Gillette K, Gsell MAF, Nagel C, Bender J, Winkler B, Williams SE, Bär M, Schäffter T, Dössel O, Plank G, Loewe A. MedalCare-XL: 16,900 healthy and pathological synthetic 12 lead ECGs from electrophysiological simulations. Sci Data 2023; 10:531. [PMID: 37553349 PMCID: PMC10409805 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02416-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic cardiac electrophysiology models allow for personalized simulations of the electrical activity in the heart and the ensuing electrocardiogram (ECG) on the body surface. As such, synthetic signals possess known ground truth labels of the underlying disease and can be employed for validation of machine learning ECG analysis tools in addition to clinical signals. Recently, synthetic ECGs were used to enrich sparse clinical data or even replace them completely during training leading to improved performance on real-world clinical test data. We thus generated a novel synthetic database comprising a total of 16,900 12 lead ECGs based on electrophysiological simulations equally distributed into healthy control and 7 pathology classes. The pathological case of myocardial infraction had 6 sub-classes. A comparison of extracted features between the virtual cohort and a publicly available clinical ECG database demonstrated that the synthetic signals represent clinical ECGs for healthy and pathological subpopulations with high fidelity. The ECG database is split into training, validation, and test folds for development and objective assessment of novel machine learning algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karli Gillette
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Matthias A F Gsell
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Claudia Nagel
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jule Bender
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Benjamin Winkler
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, National Metrology Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steven E Williams
- King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Bär
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, National Metrology Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Schäffter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, National Metrology Institute, Berlin, Germany
- King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Einstein Centre Digital Future, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olaf Dössel
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Gernot Plank
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Axel Loewe
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
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Meiburg R, Rijks JHJ, Beela AS, Bressi E, Grieco D, Delhaas T, Luermans JGLM, Prinzen FW, Vernooy K, Lumens J. Comparison of novel ventricular pacing strategies using an electro-mechanical simulation platform. Europace 2023; 25:euad144. [PMID: 37306315 PMCID: PMC10259067 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euad144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Focus of pacemaker therapy is shifting from right ventricular (RV) apex pacing (RVAP) and biventricular pacing (BiVP) to conduction system pacing. Direct comparison between the different pacing modalities and their consequences to cardiac pump function is difficult, due to the practical implications and confounding variables. Computational modelling and simulation provide the opportunity to compare electrical, mechanical, and haemodynamic consequences in the same virtual heart. METHODS AND RESULTS Using the same single cardiac geometry, electrical activation maps following the different pacing strategies were calculated using an Eikonal model on a three-dimensional geometry, which were then used as input for a lumped mechanical and haemodynamic model (CircAdapt). We then compared simulated strain, regional myocardial work, and haemodynamic function for each pacing strategy. Selective His-bundle pacing (HBP) best replicated physiological electrical activation and led to the most homogeneous mechanical behaviour. Selective left bundle branch (LBB) pacing led to good left ventricular (LV) function but significantly increased RV load. RV activation times were reduced in non-selective LBB pacing (nsLBBP), reducing RV load but increasing heterogeneity in LV contraction. LV septal pacing led to a slower LV and more heterogeneous LV activation than nsLBBP, while RV activation was similar. BiVP led to a synchronous LV-RV, but resulted in a heterogeneous contraction. RVAP led to the slowest and most heterogeneous contraction. Haemodynamic differences were small compared to differences in local wall behaviour. CONCLUSION Using a computational modelling framework, we investigated the mechanical and haemodynamic outcome of the prevailing pacing strategies in hearts with normal electrical and mechanical function. For this class of patients, nsLBBP was the best compromise between LV and RV function if HBP is not possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Meiburg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jesse H J Rijks
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ahmed S Beela
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Edoardo Bressi
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Casilino of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Grieco
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Casilino of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tammo Delhaas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Justin G LM Luermans
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frits W Prinzen
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Vernooy
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Lumens
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Viola F, Del Corso G, De Paulis R, Verzicco R. GPU accelerated digital twins of the human heart open new routes for cardiovascular research. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8230. [PMID: 37217483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34098-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The recruitment of patients for rare or complex cardiovascular diseases is a bottleneck for clinical trials and digital twins of the human heart have recently been proposed as a viable alternative. In this paper we present an unprecedented cardiovascular computer model which, relying on the latest GPU-acceleration technologies, replicates the full multi-physics dynamics of the human heart within a few hours per heartbeat. This opens the way to extensive simulation campaigns to study the response of synthetic cohorts of patients to cardiovascular disorders, novel prosthetic devices or surgical procedures. As a proof-of-concept we show the results obtained for left bundle branch block disorder and the subsequent cardiac resynchronization obtained by pacemaker implantation. The in-silico results closely match those obtained in clinical practice, confirming the reliability of the method. This innovative approach makes possible a systematic use of digital twins in cardiovascular research, thus reducing the need of real patients with their economical and ethical implications. This study is a major step towards in-silico clinical trials in the era of digital medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Viola
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L'Aquila, Italy
- INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (AQ), Italy
| | - Giulio Del Corso
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L'Aquila, Italy
- Institute of Information Science and Technologies A. Faedo, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Paulis
- European Hospital, Rome, Italy
- UniCamillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Verzicco
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), L'Aquila, Italy.
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
- POF Group, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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Strocchi M, Gillette K, Neic A, Elliott MK, Wijesuriya N, Mehta V, Vigmond EJ, Plank G, Rinaldi CA, Niederer SA. Effect of scar and His-Purkinje and myocardium conduction on response to conduction system pacing. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2023; 34:984-993. [PMID: 36738149 PMCID: PMC10089967 DOI: 10.1111/jce.15847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Conduction system pacing (CSP), in the form of His bundle pacing (HBP) or left bundle branch pacing (LBBP), is emerging as a valuable cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) delivery method. However, patient selection and therapy personalization for CSP delivery remain poorly characterized. We aim to compare pacing-induced electrical synchrony during CRT, HBP, LBBP, HBP with left ventricular (LV) epicardial lead (His-optimized CRT [HOT-CRT]), and LBBP with LV epicardial lead (LBBP-optimized CRT [LOT-CRT]) in patients with different conduction disease presentations using computational modeling. METHODS We simulated ventricular activation on 24 four-chamber heart geometries, including His-Purkinje systems with proximal left bundle branch block (LBBB). We simulated septal scar, LV lateral wall scar, and mild and severe myocardium and LV His-Purkinje system conduction disease by decreasing the conduction velocity (CV) down to 70% and 35% of the healthy CV. Electrical synchrony was measured by the shortest interval to activate 90% of the ventricles (90% of biventricular activation time [BIVAT-90]). RESULTS Severe LV His-Purkinje conduction disease favored CRT (BIVAT-90: HBP 101.5 ± 7.8 ms vs. CRT 93.0 ± 8.9 ms, p < .05), with additional electrical synchrony induced by HOT-CRT (87.6 ± 6.7 ms, p < .05) and LOT-CRT (73.9 ± 7.6 ms, p < .05). Patients with slow myocardium CV benefit more from CSP compared to CRT (BIVAT-90: CRT 134.5 ± 24.1 ms; HBP 97.1 ± 9.9 ms, p < .01; LBBP: 101.5 ± 10.7 ms, p < .01). Septal but not lateral wall scar made CSP ineffective, while CRT was able to resynchronize the ventricles in the presence of septal scar (BIVAT-90: baseline 119.1 ± 10.8 ms vs. CRT 85.1 ± 14.9 ms, p < .01). CONCLUSION Severe LV His-Purkinje conduction disease attenuates the benefits of CSP, with additional improvements achieved with HOT-CRT and LOT-CRT. Septal but not lateral wall scars make CSP ineffective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karli Gillette
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Mark K. Elliott
- King’s College London, London, UK
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust, London, UK
| | - Nadeev Wijesuriya
- King’s College London, London, UK
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust, London, UK
| | - Vishal Mehta
- King’s College London, London, UK
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust, London, UK
| | - Edward J. Vigmond
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux, Talence, France
- IHU Liryc, Bordeaux, Talence, France
| | - Gernot Plank
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Strocchi M, Wijesuriya N, Elliott MK, Gillette K, Neic A, Mehta V, Vigmond EJ, Plank G, Rinaldi CA, Niederer SA. Leadless biventricular left bundle and endocardial lateral wall pacing versus left bundle only pacing in left bundle branch block patients. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1049214. [PMID: 36589454 PMCID: PMC9794756 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1049214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Biventricular endocardial (BIV-endo) pacing and left bundle pacing (LBP) are novel delivery methods for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Both pacing methods can be delivered through leadless pacing, to avoid risks associated with endocardial or transvenous leads. We used computational modelling to quantify synchrony induced by BIV-endo pacing and LBP through a leadless pacing system, and to investigate how the right-left ventricle (RV-LV) delay, RV lead location and type of left bundle capture affect response. We simulated ventricular activation on twenty-four four-chamber heart meshes inclusive of His-Purkinje networks with left bundle branch block (LBBB). Leadless biventricular (BIV) pacing was simulated by adding an RV apical stimulus and an LV lateral wall stimulus (BIV-endo lateral) or targeting the left bundle (BIV-LBP), with an RV-LV delay set to 5 ms. To test effect of prolonged RV-LV delays and RV pacing location, the RV-LV delay was increased to 35 ms and/or the RV stimulus was moved to the RV septum. BIV-endo lateral pacing was less sensitive to increased RV-LV delays, while RV septal pacing worsened response compared to RV apical pacing, especially for long RV-LV delays. To investigate how left bundle capture affects response, we computed 90% BIV activation times (BIVAT-90) during BIV-LBP with selective and non-selective capture, and left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP), simulated by pacing 1 cm below the left bundle. Non-selective LBP was comparable to selective LBP. LBBAP was worse than selective LBP (BIVAT-90: 54.2 ± 5.7 ms vs. 62.7 ± 6.5, p < 0.01), but it still significantly reduced activation times from baseline. Finally, we compared leadless LBP with RV pacing against optimal LBP delivery through a standard lead system by simulating BIV-LBP and selective LBP alone with and without optimized atrioventricular delay (AVD). Although LBP alone with optimized AVD was better than BIV-LBP, when AVD optimization was not possible BIV-LBP outperformed LBP alone, because the RV pacing stimulus shortened RV activation (BIVAT-90: 54.2 ± 5.7 ms vs. 66.9 ± 5.1 ms, p < 0.01). BIV-endo lateral pacing or LBP delivered through a leadless system could potentially become an alternative to standard CRT. RV-LV delay, RV lead location and type of left bundle capture affect leadless pacing efficacy and should be considered in future trial designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Strocchi
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadeev Wijesuriya
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark K. Elliott
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karli Gillette
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Vishal Mehta
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Vigmond
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
- IHU Liryc, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gernot Plank
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christopher A. Rinaldi
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven A. Niederer
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Gillette K, Gsell MAF, Strocchi M, Grandits T, Neic A, Manninger M, Scherr D, Roney CH, Prassl AJ, Augustin CM, Vigmond EJ, Plank G. A personalized real-time virtual model of whole heart electrophysiology. Front Physiol 2022; 13:907190. [PMID: 36213235 PMCID: PMC9539798 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.907190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Computer models capable of representing the intrinsic personal electrophysiology (EP) of the heart in silico are termed virtual heart technologies. When anatomy and EP are tailored to individual patients within the model, such technologies are promising clinical and industrial tools. Regardless of their vast potential, few virtual technologies simulating the entire organ-scale EP of all four-chambers of the heart have been reported and widespread clinical use is limited due to high computational costs and difficulty in validation. We thus report on the development of a novel virtual technology representing the electrophysiology of all four-chambers of the heart aiming to overcome these limitations. In our previous work, a model of ventricular EP embedded in a torso was constructed from clinical magnetic resonance image (MRI) data and personalized according to the measured 12 lead electrocardiogram (ECG) of a single subject under normal sinus rhythm. This model is then expanded upon to include whole heart EP and a detailed representation of the His-Purkinje system (HPS). To test the capacities of the personalized virtual heart technology to replicate standard clinical morphological ECG features under such conditions, bundle branch blocks within both the right and the left ventricles under two different conduction velocity settings are modeled alongside sinus rhythm. To ensure clinical viability, model generation was completely automated and simulations were performed using an efficient real-time cardiac EP simulator. Close correspondence between the measured and simulated 12 lead ECG was observed under normal sinus conditions and all simulated bundle branch blocks manifested relevant clinical morphological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karli Gillette
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Matthias A. F. Gsell
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- NAWI Graz, Institute of Mathematics and Scientific Computing, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Grandits
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- NAWI Graz, Institute of Mathematics and Scientific Computing, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Martin Manninger
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel Scherr
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anton J. Prassl
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph M. Augustin
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Gernot Plank
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center—Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- *Correspondence: Gernot Plank,
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Strocchi M, Gillette K, Neic A, Elliott MK, Wijesuriya N, Mehta V, Vigmond EJ, Plank G, Rinaldi CA, Niederer SA. Comparison between conduction system pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy in right bundle branch block patients. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1011566. [PMID: 36213223 PMCID: PMC9532840 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1011566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant number of right bundle branch block (RBBB) patients receive cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), despite lack of evidence for benefit in this patient group. His bundle (HBP) and left bundle pacing (LBP) are novel CRT delivery methods, but their effect on RBBB remains understudied. We aim to compare pacing-induced electrical synchrony during conventional CRT, HBP, and LBP in RBBB patients with different conduction disturbances, and to investigate whether alternative ways of delivering LBP improve response to pacing. We simulated ventricular activation on twenty-four four-chamber heart geometries each including a His-Purkinje system with proximal right bundle branch block (RBBB). We simulated RBBB combined with left anterior and posterior fascicular blocks (LAFB and LPFB). Additionally, RBBB was simulated in the presence of slow conduction velocity (CV) in the myocardium, left ventricular (LV) or right ventricular (RV) His-Purkinje system, and whole His-Purkinje system. Electrical synchrony was measured by the shortest interval to activate 90% of the ventricles (BIVAT-90). Compared to baseline, HBP significantly improved activation times for RBBB alone (BIVAT-90: 66.9 ± 5.5 ms vs. 42.6 ± 3.8 ms, p < 0.01), with LAFB (69.5 ± 5.0 ms vs. 58.1 ± 6.2 ms, p < 0.01), with LPFB (81.8 ± 6.6 ms vs. 62.9 ± 6.2 ms, p < 0.01), with slow myocardial CV (119.4 ± 11.4 ms vs. 97.2 ± 10.0 ms, p < 0.01) or slow CV in the whole His-Purkinje system (102.3 ± 7.0 ms vs. 75.5 ± 5.2 ms, p < 0.01). LBP was only effective in RBBB cases if combined with anodal capture of the RV septum myocardium (BIVAT-90: 66.9 ± 5.5 ms vs. 48.2 ± 5.2 ms, p < 0.01). CRT significantly reduced activation times in RBBB in the presence of severely slow RV His-Purkinje CV (95.1 ± 7.9 ms vs. 84.3 ± 9.3 ms, p < 0.01) and LPFB (81.8 ± 6.6 ms vs. CRT: 72.9 ± 8.6 ms, p < 0.01). Both CRT and HBP were ineffective with severely slow CV in the LV His-Purkinje system. HBP is effective in RBBB patients with otherwise healthy myocardium and Purkinje system, while CRT and LBP are ineffective. Response to LBP improves when LBP is combined with RV septum anodal capture. CRT is better than HBP only in patients with severely slow CV in the RV His-Purkinje system, while CV slowing of the whole His-Purkinje system and the myocardium favor HBP over CRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Strocchi
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karli Gillette
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Mark K. Elliott
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadeev Wijesuriya
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vishal Mehta
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gernot Plank
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christopher A. Rinaldi
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven A. Niederer
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Barone A, Grieco D, Gizzi A, Molinari L, Zaltieri M, Massaroni C, Loppini A, Schena E, Bressi E, de Ruvo E, Caló L, Filippi S. A Simulation Study of the Effects of His Bundle Pacing in Left Bundle Branch Block. Med Eng Phys 2022; 107:103847. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2022.103847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Bai J, Lu Y, Wang H, Zhao J. How synergy between mechanistic and statistical models is impacting research in atrial fibrillation. Front Physiol 2022; 13:957604. [PMID: 36111152 PMCID: PMC9468674 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.957604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) with multiple complications, high morbidity and mortality, and low cure rates, has become a global public health problem. Although significant progress has been made in the treatment methods represented by anti-AF drugs and radiofrequency ablation, the therapeutic effect is not as good as expected. The reason is mainly because of our lack of understanding of AF mechanisms. This field has benefited from mechanistic and (or) statistical methodologies. Recent renewed interest in digital twin techniques by synergizing between mechanistic and statistical models has opened new frontiers in AF analysis. In the review, we briefly present findings that gave rise to the AF pathophysiology and current therapeutic modalities. We then summarize the achievements of digital twin technologies in three aspects: understanding AF mechanisms, screening anti-AF drugs and optimizing ablation strategies. Finally, we discuss the challenges that hinder the clinical application of the digital twin heart. With the rapid progress in data reuse and sharing, we expect their application to realize the transition from AF description to response prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieyun Bai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaosheng Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijin Wang
- College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jichao Zhao
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Special Issue of the VPH2020 Conference: "Virtual Physiological Human: When Models, Methods and Experiments Meet the Clinic". Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:483-484. [PMID: 35334017 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-02943-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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