New cardiovascular simulator for coarctation of the aorta and coarctation-related devices

公司背景：ViVitro Labs Inc.是一家总部位于哥伦比亚的公司，为全球市场提供心血管和血管内器械测试设备和实验室测试。它是加拿大唯一一家生产心血管和血管内器械测试模拟器的公司。ViVitro PulseDuplicator系统是世界上被引用和使用最多的用于商业心脏和瓣膜器械的体外血流动力学测试系统。需求：虽然ViVitro模拟器具有测试某些心血管疾病和心血管器械的能力，但它们不具有测试最重要和最常见的先天性心血管病理学：主动脉缩窄（COA）的能力。主动脉瘤是主动脉的狭窄，有许多形态学变异。COA物理模拟器对于设计、开发、评价和优化COA相关器械，特别是新兴的血管经导管支架，以及开发新的COA诊断方法是非常必要的。合作机会：这种合作使ViVitro能够研究使用创新方法将COA和COA相关设备的测试能力添加到其产品组合中的可行性。方法学：该项目使用临床成像数据、图像处理算法和独特的计算流体动力学和集总参数建模框架来提供通过心脏和循环系统的生理脉动流和压力的细节。这些信息是开发和验证模拟生理条件的设置所必需的。机会：新的模拟器可以满足医疗设备公司的测试需求，这些公司希望为COA引入新设备。这个模拟器对全世界的学术研究也很有吸引力。这一点尤其重要，因为工业界对血管经导管支架和相关器械的关注正在迅速增长，开发新血管器械的公司数量也在大幅增加。新的模拟器可以帮助ViVitro Labs在血管内器械模拟器的国际市场中脱颖而出，并可以在加拿大创造新的就业机会。

COMPANY BACKGROUND: ViVitro Labs Inc. is a Canadian-based company that has providedcardiovascular and endovascular device test equipment and laboratory testing to a global market. It is the onlyCanadian company making cardiovascular and endovascular device test simulators. The ViVitro PulseDuplicator system is the world's most cited and used in vitro hemodynamic testing system for commercial heartand valve devices. THE NEED: Although the ViVitro simulators have the capability of testing somecardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular devices, they do not have the capability of testing the mostimportant and common congenital cardiovascular pathology: coarctation of the aorta (COA). COA is anarrowing of the aorta with many morphologic variants. A physical COA simulator is much needed fordesigning, developing, evaluating and optimizing COA-related devices, especially the emerging vasculartranscatheter stents, and for developing novel diagnostic methods for COA. COLLABORATIONOPPORTUNITY: This collaboration allows ViVitro to investigate feasibility of adding the capability of testingof COA and COA-related devices to its product portfolio using an innovative approach. METHODOLOGY:This project uses clinical imaging data, image processing algorithms, and a unique computational fluiddynamics and lumped parameter modeling framework to provide details of the physiological pulsatile flow andpressures through the heart and the circulatory system. This information is required for developing andvalidating the setup to simulate the physiological condition. OPPORTUNITY: The new simulator can servetesting needs of medical-device companies that want to introduce new devices for COA. This simulator is alsovery attractive for academic research worldwide. This is particularly important because the industrial focus onvascular transcatheter stents and related devices is rapidly growing and the number of companies developingnew vascular devices is greatly increasing. The new simulator can help ViVitro Labs to differentiate in theinternational market of endovascular device simulators and can create new jobs in Canada.