New 4D model advances precision treatment for heart failure
Digital twin holds strong potential to improve patient outcomes
A made-in-Calgary 4D heart model is transforming treatment for heart failure patients having a specialized pacemaker inserted, called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In a national clinical trial, published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Dr. James White, MD, and his team found a clear benefit to using the model to target treatment.
Developed at the University of Calgary, the heart model uses cardiac MRI images to generate a patient-specific replica, or digital twin, of a patient’s heart.
These personalized “beating heart” models can be used to guide the placement of the specialized pacemaker (CRT), which aims to improve heart function in patients with heart failure by better coordinating how the heart walls squeeze together.
Dr. James White, MD, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and director of the Nelson Precision Medicine and Learning Health System (PULSE) Centre for Innovation, says personalizing heart therapies using digital hearts represents a significant step forward.
“While digital heart models have been used to perform computer simulations of how pacemakers can improve heart function, this trial was designed to test if this type of technology can be used in real patients to improve outcomes,” says White.
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. CRT can be life-changing for patients with advanced heart disease and weakened heart function, but up to one-third do not respond to the conventional CRT approach. The results of the trial, called MAPIT-CRT, showed patients who underwent CRT guided by the virtual patient model experienced a 10.8 per cent increase in heart function versus 5.8 per cent in patients who received standard care.
The trial enrolled 202 patients across seven Canadian centres. It evaluated patients six months following the CRT procedure and found:
“This is a powerful example of how advanced imaging, computational modelling and clinical cardiology can come together to improve patient care,” says Dr. Derek Chew, MD, lead author on the MAPIT-CRT study.
The technology is also designed with implementation in mind.
“Previous approaches required complex software and integrations to implement, so we focused on making an easy-to-adopt solution,” says White. “Complex problems can now be solved using easy- to-use web-based platforms, allowing innovation to scale much faster.”
END
Developed at the University of Calgary, the heart model uses cardiac MRI images to generate a patient-specific replica, or digital twin, of a patient’s heart.
These personalized “beating heart” models can be used to guide the placement of the specialized pacemaker (CRT), which aims to improve heart function in patients with heart failure by better coordinating how the heart walls squeeze together.
Dr. James White, MD, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and director of the Nelson Precision Medicine and Learning Health System (PULSE) Centre for Innovation, says personalizing heart therapies using digital hearts represents a significant step forward.
“While digital heart models have been used to perform computer simulations of how pacemakers can improve heart function, this trial was designed to test if this type of technology can be used in real patients to improve outcomes,” says White.
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. CRT can be life-changing for patients with advanced heart disease and weakened heart function, but up to one-third do not respond to the conventional CRT approach. The results of the trial, called MAPIT-CRT, showed patients who underwent CRT guided by the virtual patient model experienced a 10.8 per cent increase in heart function versus 5.8 per cent in patients who received standard care.
The trial enrolled 202 patients across seven Canadian centres. It evaluated patients six months following the CRT procedure and found:
- 66 per cent of patients who received model-guided therapy improved, compared to 52 per cent in the standard treatment group.
- Patients saw nearly double the improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, a key measure of heart pumping ability.
- There was no increase in procedure time, complications or recovery risks.
“This is a powerful example of how advanced imaging, computational modelling and clinical cardiology can come together to improve patient care,” says Dr. Derek Chew, MD, lead author on the MAPIT-CRT study.
The technology is also designed with implementation in mind.
“Previous approaches required complex software and integrations to implement, so we focused on making an easy-to-adopt solution,” says White. “Complex problems can now be solved using easy- to-use web-based platforms, allowing innovation to scale much faster.”
END