Data and simulations to support clinical decision-making

Partner: University Hospital Ostrava

Field: healthcare

Modern medicine today relies not only on the experience of clinicians but increasingly on data analysis and interpretation. One such example is the collaboration between IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center and University Hospital Ostrava, which focuses on new approaches to evaluating treatments for cerebrovascular diseases. Specialists from the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology and Angiology at the Radiodiagnostic Institute of University Hospital Ostrava have long been treating patients with vascular diagnoses, including cerebral aneurysms.

As part of a joint proof-of-concept project, the case of a female patient with an aneurysm in one of the major cerebral arteries was analysed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) served as a supporting tool in this study, enabling the quantification of parameters such as shear stress, flow oscillations, and blood residence time in a realistic 3D model of the blood vessels created from angiographic data. Based on these calculations, it was possible to compare selected haemodynamic characteristics before and after the procedure.

The simulations were performed on the Karolina supercomputer, which is operated by IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center. Experts from the IT4Innovations Parallel Algorithms Research Lab provided the methodology, software solutions, analysis, and visualisation. The results offered a more detailed insight into how the treatment affected the haemodynamics in the aneurysm region and provided the clinical team with additional quantitative data to interpret the findings.

It is important to emphasise that CFD does not replace clinical judgment. The final therapeutic decision always rests with the clinical team; the calculations serve as a supportive tool to help better understand the patient’s condition both before and after the procedure.

Implemented under the auspices of the National Competence Centre.

CT scans of the aneurysm in the monitored patient