Cardiovascular Biomechanics and A.I. Laboratory

Imperial College London, Department of bioengineering

 

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The Cardiovascular Biomechanics and AI Laboratory (PI: Choon Hwai Yap) focuses on computational investigations of cardiac biomechanics, and also the use of AI algorithms to enhance such investigations. We have investigated embryonic, fetal, and adult heats, using clinical data, and small and large animal models. We have further explored the use of Physics Informed and large data-driven approaches to speed up computations for high throughput usage, in hope that biomechanics can be more robustly adopted in clinical applications.

Many of our studies concerns image-based computational simulations and predictions of both blood fluid dynamics and myocardial tissue biomechanics. We developed upstream tools including image registration, motion tracking, and 3D reconstructions from images, via both traditional and deep learning approaches. We’ve developed techniques for traditional CFD and Finite Element image-based simulations, as well as deep learning versions of them. We’ve also developed shape generators for data augmentation to train biomechanics networks.

Through our work, we have discovered important physiological details of the healthy and diseased hearts, and identified imaging and useful biomechanics markers for disease detection, evaluation of cardiac health and prognosis. We investigated various diseases including congenital heart diseases, heart failure, and infarction. In embryonic hearts, we characterized its biomechanical function of the embryonic heart structures, and discovered biomechanical stimuli that are important to embryonic heat formations.

A further interest is the development of new echocardiography systems that can minimize sonographer skill requirement, and improve measurement precision, using our novel deep learning image processing and shape modelling tools. Our image processing tools can enable high quality quantifications despite sparse imaging (imaging at only a sparse few planes).

Our second interest is to develop novel materials and devices to modulate thrombosis in medical devices. For example, we investigate biocompatible slip-flow materials to reduce blood stresses and blood damage in blood pumps, and we adapted a nano-fibrous material for an advanced hemostatic device.

Details on Research Project here.

 

News and Events

 

 

* Our novel Machine Learning tool can help rule out heart attacks in A&E patients better and more accurately than conventional approaches, making it safer for patients and conserving critical healthcare resources: Evening Standards news link. BHF news link. Congratulations Dario..!

* Our Team, Emerstat, which is commercializing the first fast clotting and non-adherent bandage technology, won the Fast Company Changing Ideas Awards 2024: link. Congratulations to Vishnu and Apoorva..!

* Our Team, Emerstat, won the May Bank Award and the Kajima Innovation Award at the 2023 Lee Kuan Yew Business Plan Competition: link. Congratulations to Vishnu and Apoorva..! Our innovation is the first fast clotting and non-adherent bandage nanotechnology: website.

* congratulations to Laura Green for winning the best poster award at the ESBiomech2023 conference..! link.

* The Cardiovascular Biomechanics and Ultrasound Laboratory is moving to Imperial College London in July 2020. We look forward to continued opportunities to contribute scientifically from London. Multiple PhD Scholarships at Imperial College are currently available, for details, please see here.

* Yap Lab and Poulikakos Lab jointly develop an advanced nano-tech enabled hemostatic patch that minimizes blood loss by repelling blood, enables fast clotting, and easy detachment after clotting. Check it out here.