Past Event: Oden Institute Seminar

Patient-Specific Modeling of Blood Flow in Arteries: From the Academy to the Clinic

Charles Taylor, Adjunct Professor, UT Austin

Abstract

Patient-specific computational models of blood flow in arteries derived from medical imaging data have generated significant interest since they were first introduced more than 25 years ago. Such models enable a new approach in medicine whereby predictive computational models can be used to evaluate and select alternate treatment strategies. The foundational technology needed to model blood flow in realistic anatomic and physiologic models and early clinical applications will be discussed. 

Since they were first introduced in 2010, patient-specific models of coronary artery blood flow constructed from coronary CT angiography (cCTA) images leveraging deep learning A.I. methods and using computational fluid dynamics have transformed the diagnosis of heart disease. Such noninvasive, computational models have provided safer, less expensive and more efficient procedure as compared to the standard of care that often involves nuclear imaging and invasive diagnostic cardiac catheterizations. Such image-based computations require an accurate segmentation of the coronary artery lumen from cCTA images and employ biologic principles relating form (anatomy) to function (physiology). HeartFlow developed a non-invasive test, FFRCT, based on computing flow and pressure in the coronary arteries. FFRCT has been validated against invasive pressure measurements in more than 1000 patients and demonstrated to improve care in over 100 clinical studies enrolling more than 100,000 patients. At present, FFRCT has been used for routine clinical decision making in more than 1000 hospitals that have served over 500,000 patients in the United States, Europe, and Japan. In the United States, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association guidelines include FFRCT in the recommended diagnostic pathway for heart disease. Medicare and most U.S. private insurance companies reimburse physicians for using FFRCT. New products including AI-enabled software for quantifying coronary anatomic narrowings, quantifying coronary atherosclerotic plaque, and predicting changes in blood flow arising from alternate treatment plans will be discussed. Future opportunities for research in developing and applying computational methods for the cardiovascular system will be presented. 

Patient-specific models of blood flow are one important application of the broader field of Computational Medicine which is poised to transform healthcare over the coming decades as profoundly as has occurred with computational engineering and science. 

Biography

Dr. Taylor is a Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of HeartFlow Inc. He was Chief Technology Officer at HeartFlow from 2010 to 2021 and then Chief Scientific Officer from 2021 to 2023. Prior to working at HeartFlow, he was an Associate Professor in the Departments of Bioengineering and Surgery at Stanford University with courtesy faculty appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Radiology and Pediatrics. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor of Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas, Austin and a Part-time Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Technical University of Eindhoven. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering work over the last 30 years in combining computer simulation methods with medical imaging data for patient-specific modeling of blood flow to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Charles has published over 425 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and has more than 300 issued patents worldwide.

He received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and M.S. degree in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Charles was elected into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2024.