Image-based estimation of ventricular fiber orientations for patient-specific simulations.

Patient-specific simulation of heart (dys)function aimed at personalizing cardiac therapy are hampered by the absence of in vivo imaging technology for clinically acquiring myocardial fiber orientations. In this research, we develop a methodology to predict ventricular fiber orientations of a patient heart, given the geometry of the heart and an atlas. We test the methodology by comparing the estimated fiber orientations with measured ones, and by quantifying the effect of the estimation error on outcomes of electrophysiological simulations, in normal and failing canine hearts. The new insights obtained from the project will pave the way for the development of patient-specific models of the heart that can aid physicians in personalized diagnosis and decisions regarding electrophysiological interventions.