In a digital twin model of the human heart, simulated cardiac resynchronization therapy for left bundle branch block improved left ventricular ejection fraction from 34% to 48% with optimal lead placement.
GPU-accelerated digital twins can accurately simulate cardiac electrophysiology and device interventions like CRT, offering a viable in-silico alternative for cardiovascular research.
Absolute Event Rate: 48% vs 34%
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.
Viola et al. (Mon,) conducted a other in Left bundle branch block. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) simulation vs. Simulated left bundle branch block (LBBB) was evaluated on Left ventricular ejection fraction. In a digital twin model of the human heart, simulated cardiac resynchronization therapy for left bundle branch block improved left ventricular ejection fraction from 34% to 48% with optimal lead placement.