Summary:
Researchers in the Department of Medicine and Radiological Sciences at UCLA have developed a novel computational model for estimating ventricular mechanical efficiency using routine clinical exam practices.
Background:
Congenital heart disease (CHD) involves complex heart defects that make it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively. Because CHD results from abnormal anatomic connections, typical metrics for assessing cardiac function may not adequately reflect the heart’s ability to function efficiently. One important measure of heart function in CHD patients is called ventricular efficiency (VE), which indicates how effectively the heart’s main pumping chamber is working. To measure VE, doctors typically use invasive procedures, such as cardiac catheterization to record pressure changes in the heart. This process often includes a method called inferior vena cava (IVC) occlusion, where doctors briefly block a major vein to adjust blood flow and measure heart function under different conditions. However, these techniques are complex and invasive, limiting their practicality for routine clinical use. Because of these challenges, there is a critical need for a safer, non-invasive way to measure VE in patients with CHD.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers have developed a new computational model for estimating ventricular efficiency (VE) based on thermodynamic principles, which removes the need for invasive inferior vena cava (IVC) occlusion. This model can estimate VE using radiographic and hemodynamic data obtained during routine clinical exams, reducing the need for catheter-based aortic pressure measurements by allowing substitution with peripheral blood pressure. Specifically, this model utilizes aortic or peripheral blood pressure readings, along with other cardiac parameters, as inputs. It then estimates ventricular pressures through an easily integrated software application to calculate mechanical efficiency. The measure of cardiac efficiency serves as an invaluable diagnostic metric for cardiac health and for surgical planning. The model has been developed based on data from invasive cardiac catheterization. Designed for patients with single-ventricle physiology, the model offers a less invasive, efficient way to assess heart function, providing valuable insights for clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment planning. By streamlining VE estimation, this tool holds promise for improving heart function assessments in a more accessible, patient-friendly manner.
Potential Applications:
• Assessments of ventricular mechanical efficiency for patients with congenital heart disease
• Personalized and routine treatment planning
• Assessment for heart transplant readiness
• Diagnostic metric for cardiac health and for surgical planning
• Monitoring VE in other heart diseases (cardiomyopathies, heart failure, valvular stenosis and regurgitation, and other types of congenital heart diseases)
• Monitoring of conditions that have secondary effects on cardiac function, such as cardiorenal and hepato-cardiac pathologies
Advantages:
• Simplicity of obtaining measurements through routine exams
• Omission of requirement for IVC occlusion
• Non-invasive and safer for patients
• Integration into cardiac imaging software
State of Development:
The inventors have publicly disclosed the present invention at the Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference and a manuscript is currently under preparation.
Related Papers:
1. Gurung S, Pogosyan A, Perens GS, Nguyen KL, Finn JP. "A thermodynamics-based approach for estimating ventricular efficiency: application in patients with single ventricular physiology." In: Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference; June 2024; Lake Geneva, WI.
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2024-258