The partners of the DISHEART project:

The project work will be split into the following work packages

WP1. Specification of DISHEART DSS. (M1 - M3)
WP2. Database of material properties and medical images. (M1 - M7)
WP3. Generation of data for computer simulation from medical images. (M3 - M9)
WP4. Development of blood flow simulation module. (M3 - M14)
WP5. Development of computational module for analysis of blood vessels and heart mechanics. (M3 - M14)
WP6. Integration of DISHEART DSS. (M8 - M20)
WP7. Validation and enhancement of the DISHEART system. (M16 - M25)
WP8. Dissemination and exploitation plan. (M1 - M25)
WP9. Project management. (M1 - M25)

The objective of this WP is to specify the technical features of the DISHEART DSS, the specific requirements form the SME's and the assessment and validation strategy.

WP Leader: CIMNE

The objective of this WP is To built up a database of: a) material properties for the blood flow and the vessel and heart mechanics and b) medical images and geometrical images.

WP Leader: I3A

The first task in the WP aims to develop an efficient, robust and user-friendly interface for generating 3D finite element meshes from the medical images stored in the database created in WP2.
The second task is focused on the generation of the analysis data necessary to perform simulation of the vessel and heart mechanics using the numerical methods developed in WP4 and WP5.

WP Leader: CIMNE

Work in WP4 will focus in the development of efficient numerical (finite element based) methods for simulation the flow of blood within the arteries and the heart regions. This will include the development of innovative constitutive models for blood flow and the integration of these models into existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis modules developed by CIMNE and VFD. The overall performance and accuracy of these CFD models will be assessed via simple benchmark problems of blood vessel flow.
WP Leader: CIMNE

WP5 will focus first in the development of material models for blood vessels and heart mechanics (T5.1 and T5.2). These models will be subsequently integrated into a non linear finite element solver developed by I3A and CIMNE for analysis of the mechanical behaviour of the cardiovascular system (T5.3). The mechanical analysis software modules will be developed in a way that they are easily coupled with the CFD modules developed in WP5. Additional work in WP5 will include the development of a stochastic analysis module (T5.4). This will be based on existing software based on MonteCarlo methods developed by CIMNE in past EC projects. A final task of this workpackage will focus in the assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the mechanical analysis module for predicting short and long term phenomena in blood vessel and heart mechanics (T5.5).
WP Leader: TUG

The first task in WP6 will be the adaptation of the software modules developed in WP4 and WP5 for analysis of coupled problems in blood-vessel mechanics (T6.1). Work in T6.2 will focus in the actual integration of a prototype version of the DISHEART DSS. This will involve the integration of the data generation modules, the CFD and structural analysis solvers, the stochastic analysis module and the visualization tools into a single package. An important task in WP6 will be devoted to the gridification of the DISHEART DSS (T6.3). Additional tasks will include the development of user-friendly interfaces and (T6.4), the production of the necessary documentation, the implementation in the SME's and in the supporting medical centers and the training of the users (T6.5).
WP Leader: CIMNE

The efficiency and usefulness of the DISHEART DSS will be validated in WP7 through its application to four cardiovascular problems including: (a) the study of a medical device (T7.1), the simulation of two surgical intervention (T7.2) and the simulation of a heart valve intervention (T7.3). The experience gained in these validation tasks will be used to develop an enhanced version of the DISHEART system (T7.4) as well as guidelines for its practical use (T7.5). The specific definition of the validation tests will be the outcome of T1.3.
WP Leader: I3A

Dissemination of the project outputs. Definition and implementation of the marketing strategy for the DISHEART DSS.
WP Leader: COMPASS

The Objectives in this WP are:
- Coordination of the project from the administrative, technical, strategic and financial point of view.
- Liaison with the EU project officer, implementing the adequate reporting and reviewing mechanisms.
- To put in place the adequate consortium communication platform.
- To co-ordinate with other related projects.

WP Leader: CIMNE