Development of three dimensional coronary blood perfusion model in beating heart using advanced computational and experimental techniques.

Coronary vascular disease(CVD) has been studied for many decades and has been found to be a very complex problem.Despite dramatic medical advances over the last few decades, CVD remain a leading cause of death globally and thenumber one cause of death in the European Union (EU).

Inspite of the tedious and creative work by many expert scientistsfrom many different perspectives, the disease has only partially been understood.

The approach that is taken here differs inbasic tenets from earlier approaches, in that it starts from a very basic system of study inorder to progressively build higherlevels of complexity.

It is understood that the vast majority of the life threatening pathologies are associated with animbalance between the demand in oxygen and the supply provided by the RBCs.

This project will start studying the structureof the microvascular geometry and upscale the coronary circulation from there.

The microvascular bed will be embedded intoa beating heart with all complexities associated with it:contracting muscle fibre, complex fibre architecture, valves, coronaryarteries and veins, etc.

On that level, the project will multi-stage and multiscale with finite element (FE) modelling ofmyocardial contraction, deformation and perfusion.

The interdisciplinary perspective in this study is strong with contributionsfrom engineers, clinicians and biomaterial scientists.

The scope of the study is usage of FE modelling for autoregulation ofcoronary perfusion which extends the applications of FE model to common pathologies such as ischemic heart disease,infarction or reperfusion issues and devices such as stents or cardiac assist devices, that improve coronary blood perfusion.This project is in line with the European heart health charter to promote research in the field of cardiovascular diseases.