Validation Cohort

Acute Uncomplicated Type-B Aortic Dissection

Stanford 3DQ Lab Validation cohort describes a years-long program to help evaluate imaging characteristics that lead to improved clinical decisions for managing acute uncomplicated type-b dissections. The early results of this research resulted in the following risk calculator:

Aortic Surveillance Program and Risk Calculator

Brought about through a collaboration with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Aortic Surveillance Program provides a streamlined comprehensive and standardized approach to monitoring of patients with aortic diseases. Ongoing research focuses on machine learning, computational fluid dynamics, and intuitive display of complex data in longitudinal imaging data.

Aortic Risk Calculator

Key Contributors and Areas of Interest

Dominik Fleischmann

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Aortic Diseases
• Computed Tomography
• Predictive Imaging Biomarkers
• Image Post-Processing
• Contrast Medium Dynamics
• Aortic Dissection
• Three-Dimensional Imaging
• Quantitative Analysis

Hans-Christoph Becker

• Computed Tomography
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Oncology
• Oncological Response
• Myocardial Bridges
• Myocardial Ischemia
• Coronary Angiography
• CT Angiography
• Quantitative Analysis

Anna Sailer (Karmann)

• Aortic Natural History
• Volumetric Segmentation
• Interventional Radiology
• Predictive Imaging Biomarkers
• Image Post-Processing
• Computed Tomography
• Quantitative Analysis

Kathrin Beumler

• Image Post-Processing
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Image segmentation
• 3D Modeling
• Cluster Computing
• 4D Flow Visualization/Analysis
• Mathematics
• Quantitative Analysis

Current Research & Projects

3DQ Lab Aortic Surveillance

Patients with aortic diseases require life-long surveillance with imaging to detect and prevent catastrophic outcomes, such as aneurysm formation and rupture. Surgical decisions are based on sizes at various locations of the aorta and the growth rate. Identifying and measuring the exact locations along the aorta between cohorts of patients is challenging but can be addressed through standardized measurement locations. Communicating this information is possible with our database and custom graphing tools.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

The 3DQ Lab performs computational fluid dynamic simulations of patient-specific aortic dissections. In collaboration with the Marsden Lab, we utilize Fluid-Structure-Interaction methods on Arbitrary-Eulerian-Lagrangian meshes to obtain realistic pressure and velocity information in patient-specific models. Learning about the interaction of deformation, wall shear stress, pressure differences, and oscillatory shear stress assists with understanding the driving factors in disease progression.

Individual Risk Prediction After TAVR

Adequate risk characterization is essential in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The goal of this project is to evaluate potential risk predictors in patients. Together with the departments of Cardiology and Cardio-thoracic Surgery we built a database with over 400 patients. Currently, we are evaluating CT measurements for sarcopenia and frailty, and we are evaluating the prognostic value of calcifications of the cardiac valves and coronary arteries.

3D Printed Anatomical Models

The 3DQ Lab uses additive manufacturing technologies to generate three-dimensional anatomical models that demonstrate areas of a patient’s body. Our lab provides a variety of 3D printing modalities such as FDM, SLA, and DLP; with materials spanning opaque ABS to semi-transparent photopolymers. We utilize DICOM data to reproduce patient-specific anatomy that can be used for education, pre-surgical planning, and patient consent. 3D Print orders can currently be placed through EPIC.