Mitral Valve Reconstruction and Analysis (360G-Wellcome-211675_Z_18_Z)

Valvular heart disease (VHD) has been described as the ‘next cardiac epidemic’ with 6.5 million new cases of VHD predicted to develop in Europe by 2050. Mitral regurgitation (MR) accounts for 32% of VHD. MR is a condition where the native valve leaflets do not fully close, resulting in backward blood flow from the left ventricle to left atrium. Image-based computational predictive models have excellent clinical potential as an assessment strategy for cardiac devices treating mitral valve dysfunction. However, these computational models are limited. They assume idealised healthy conditions, and often lack validation from human imaging. The project will involve analysing CT (computed tomography) imaging of patients with healthy mitral function (e.g. patients presenting with aortic valve dysfunction) and then patients with mitral dysfunction, specifically mitral regurgitation. The 2D images will be reconstructed into 3D geometries and segmented to extract the mitral valve annulus and bicuspid leaflets, at both open and closed states. Following reconstruction, the geometries will be assessed and the effective orifice area when open will be analysed for healthy and diseased mitral valves. This project will demonstrate the change in leaflet structure with disease and will serve as input to ongoing work in Dr. Conway’s group.