A digital twin of a product is an existing concept. A virtual product is tested for design changes before prototyping. A virtual patient in a computer can mimic an actual patient and be used to monitor vitals that can’t be measured easily in a patient. Mathematical models will generate synthetic data, augmented by real data through transfer learning. The dream of a researcher-clinician is treatment planning and predicting outcomes using these twins!

Left Ventricular assist devices (LVADS) are an engineering marvel. Though the development started sixty years ago, a perfect solution is yet to be found. Pediatric LVADs just appeared on the market a year ago. The research will benefit many other areas also.

Fetal cardiac surgery to correct congenital heart defects is an exact surgery, and the first patient is hardly five years today. A multidisciplinary team working with precision technology performs such surgeries. A challenging problem indeed!

Congenital heart defects affect nearly one percent of births every year. An engineered heart valve for children is constantly under development, the recent one being a 15mm rotatable mechanical heart valve. Biology meets mechanical engineering in these valves, and the development needs no justification!

The electrical system of the heart may malfunction due to several reasons. One congenital condition that causes sudden death in the young is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Atrial fibrillation is a common problem. Researchers will be studying the reasons, maybe a genetic link, and develop new techniques and products to treat and understand the connection with cardiac arrest.

One crucial question the researchers have been asking is how to handle the lack of regenerative capacity of the heart muscle when damaged. Researchers at the Department will be working on generating engineered cardiovascular tissues.