heartflow

Lest my previous post sound overly pessimistic, I must say that overall I came away really inspired by the conference.  It was incredibly nice to see not just the cartoons and wiring diagrams so common in biology, but also the models and simulations of the behavior that those diagrams could result in.  The plenary talks were great, as was the forward-looking session.

One of my favorite talks involved using mathematics to model blood flow in the coronary (heart) arteries to allow predictions of whether stenting (propping open a narrowed portion of the vessel) would be effective.  The technique turned CT scans into 3D models of the blood vessels and then used various models of blood flow to predict which narrowed regions significantly affected blood flow to the heart muscle. 

This was significant because at present, the only way to obtain this information is via an angiogram, an invasive procedure in which a catheter is threaded into an artery in the groin, up into the chest, and close to the heart.  Then an radio-labeled dye is released, allowing imaging.  The physician then eyeballs the scan and if he or she estimates that the artery is narrowed more than 50%, a stent is inserted.  However, if there are multiple narrowings, it may not be clear which ones should be stented.  Furthermore, the decision to treat is somewhat subjective as different physicians make make a different visual estimate as to the amount of blockage.  Having a non-invasive and predictive way to make this measurement is a significant achievement, as currently the mortality rate of angiography is 1%, which is significant considering how many Americans are undergoing this diagnostic test.  Additionally, the test is much more accurate the current procedure.

For those that are curious, the company is Heartflow, and the company has apparently received approval in Europe and are working towards it in the United States.