Working with 3D models is nothing new. Many industries have adopted the 3D simulation technology, now it seems that the health sector is also discovering how virtual worlds can advance medicine, research and treatment.
Written by: Steve Levine, Senior Director, Human Simulation, Dassault Systèmes
The use of 3D simulations in the development and testing processes of new products has proven its effectiveness in several industries.
In the automotive industry, for example, crash tests are carried out in virtual environments and are hardly carried out in a physical dimension anymore.
In medicine, however, it is still common to work with two-dimensional images, which do not provide a complete picture of the patient’s condition.
Since the data is currently available in a digital format, the transition from the accepted standard in the medical world to 3D will enable what already works well in other industries: digital twins, that is, digital mapping of objects and processes in the real world, allows, for example, to virtually analyze body parts, specific organs or the the whole human body. Furthermore, when the models are fed with real patient data, the results can be simulated under conditions identical to the real-world object conditions.
Cardiology is one of the areas that can particularly benefit from the use of virtual twins.
“The heart report” published by The Heart Foundation shows that cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Germany. Modern treatment methods together with preventive care are cornerstones of the patient’s health.
In order to apply the virtual twin technology to the human body, Dassault Systèmes launched the “Living Heart” project in 2014.
the living heart
The goal of the “Living Heart” project is to create the virtual twin of the human heart. So far, more than 100 bodies from the fields of research, industries, the medical field and regulation have joined the mission. Together with Dassault Systèmes, they helped develop the first 3D simulation of a beating human heart, using the software solution “SMULIA“
An important contribution of the research laboratories and industry
Science and research have been dealing with the complexity of the human heart for decades, and from this position were able to provide significant assistance to the success of the “Living Heart” project.
For example, the Institute for Computer-Assisted Vascular Medicine at Charité, Berlin, is devoting many years of research to a better and more comprehensive understanding of the human heart. The interaction of the heart with other organs, with drugs and with different treatment methods is particularly interesting.
In this way, the researchers significantly aid the ability to map the heart virtually. Despite progress, many questions remain, especially regarding particularly complicated (congenital) heart defects and their interaction with medical equipment and replacement tissues.
The clinical environment is also connected to the living heart project. The challenge is to research innovative treatment methods with a positive cost-benefit ratio while meeting strict regulatory requirements in terms of patient safety.
For example, clinicians from the German Center for Cardiac Research in Berlin and the German Cardiac Center for Tübingen are supporting the project by making assessments in the day-to-day work for the simulations, and finding ways to improve.
Companies from the medical field are already using the model in their development processes. For example, the manufacturer of parts for medical equipment ADMEDES. Through simulations, new applications and devices can be tested on the “living heart” model. Carrying out the virtual tests in the laboratory saves costs, the time needed to set up a prototype and the scope of experiments on animals. Unlike a model taken from animals, the virtual heart can contain clinical information and be significantly faithful to the human heart, over time and how it works. This enables acceleration of the development and approval process, which contributes to a faster time to market for new medical devices. The model continues to evolve with the feedback from the companies.
Alive and kicking already today
Thanks to all the players involved, including the US FDA, the Living Heart Project has had many successes so far.
Already today, customized models of the human heart are used in clinical studies. For example, in surgeries to repair serious heart defects in babies. Many virtual surgeries can be performed under the supervision of the senior doctor, until the best way is decided. Medical students and hospital staff as well as the patients themselves benefit from the living heart. For example, the virtual twin of the heart can be used in training and experience, by performing surgeries in the virtual world.
In addition, through simulation it is possible to optimize and shorten development and test processes. For example, using the virtual heart, artificial heart valves can be better adapted to the conditions of the disease among groups of patients or a single patient. The virtual model saves time, controversial animal experiments, and building physical models.
The next step: the virtual human body
Today’s research may advance to the next level, treatment, drug development and medical technology. Dassault Systèmes is already working with partners on virtual imaging of other organs, for example the “living lung” project and the “living brain” project, which is currently being used in the study of neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Based on a patient’s individual data, it is possible to create a simulation of brain actions and help in understanding the disease, predicting seizures and classifying them.
The virtual models of these complex organs are in advanced stages and it is already possible to think a step ahead – and simulate the entire human body from a series of individual models.
Such use of the virtual twin paves the way for the development of personalized medicine. Each patient will be able to receive the exact treatment for his body, his genes, his metabolism.
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