3-Dimensional Cardiovascular Modeling to Enhance Training, Education and Pre-procedural Planning for Structural Heart Disease
Investigators:
Lauren Markovic, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Mandy Coleman, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)
If interested, please have your primary veterinarian request additional information through the Clinical Trials Coordinator Lisa Reno at 706-296-7818 or the UGA Cardiology service by calling the small animal referral coordinator at 706-542-5362.
Study description:
3D printing of cardiac anatomy has yet to be evaluated in veterinary medicine, yet structural heart disease affects millions of dogs in the US, serving as a unique analog to human conditions. This study aims to develop a protocol to model naturally occurring structural cardiovascular disease using 3-dimensional (3D) printed heart models derived from computed tomography (CT) data-sets and 3D printed polymers that mimic natural tissue properties. These models will assist in pre-procedural planning, training and veterinary education for cardiovascular disease and intervention. In addition, creation of a 3D model may allow enhanced comprehension of how a patient’s complex cardiovascular anatomy will interact with device implants to assess spatial relationships, and to mimic the hemodynamic and functional characteristics of the device in-situ.
Dogs with congenital heart disease in which the disease is amenable to transcatheter or surgical intervention may be eligible for the study. Dogs with acquired heart disease and those with cardiac neoplasia may also be considered. All dogs will be evaluated by the UGA Cardiology service. If eligible for the study, dogs will return between 1 and 30 days after the initial diagnosis, for CT angiography during which digital datasets obtained from CT scans will be used to develop 3D computational cardiovascular models.
The study pays for the cost of the CT imaging. Clients are responsible for the other costs pertaining to their dog’s diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
Duration of study:
The study is currently OPEN and accepting patients.
Potential benefits to veterinary medicine:
This technique will model anatomy and physiology of naturally occurring heart disease to be used for planning of interventional and surgical procedures, and for veterinary education and training. A natural outgrowth of this work is preclinical testing of interventional or surgical cardiac devices in a clinically relevant model of animals, an approach beneficial to both animals and humans.
