Development of a circulation simulator to support perinatal care of patients with heart disease

Abstract

The number of pregnant women and fetuses with cardiac diseases has been increasing. Their circulatory dynamics are highly variable, and systematic treatment methods have not yet been established. Thus, their management is largely dependent on the experience of skilled physicians.

In this study, we will develop a circulatory simulator for pregnant women and fetuses with cardiac diseases. We applied the circulation model to predict the effect of acute treatment of heart failure and to develop automatic treatment with drugs and circulatory support devices. The essence of the circulation simulator is to fit the whole-body circulation into a simple mathematical framework. This makes it possible to estimate the state of the heart and blood vessels from the state of the whole body, and to predict rapid changes in circulation during the perinatal period.

We will develop a circulatory simulator for pregnant women and fetuses by extending our previous techniques. The simulator will show the complex circulatory dynamics of pregnant women and fetuses in detail, enabling medical professionals to accurately evaluate and predict them. This will lead to appropriate patient management in perinatal circulatory management.

Perspectives

The system simulates the circulation of pregnant women and fetuses with cardiac diseases that are difficult to manage, and provides detailed evaluation and prediction to support appropriate management of conditions.

Reproducing and predicting current and future conditions using computer simulation, aiming to realize individualized medicine.

Many obstetrics and gynecology departments will be able to manage pregnant women and fetuses with cardiac diseases.

Reduced morbidity with consequent benefits to families and society?

Comments from principal researcher

Since the management of pregnant women and fetuses with heart disease has not been well established, it has been handled in only a few hospitals. However, it is expected that the number of pregnant women and fetuses with heart disease will increase in the future. We hope to contribute to safe management of high-risk pregnancies and fetuses.