{"108701":{"#nid":"108701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research: Good for the Heart","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EValentine\u2019s Day evokes images of a stylized heart shape, but for a group of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, the heart is a complex organ that interests them throughout the year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures. Georgia Tech\u2019s emphasis on translational research accelerates the pace at which new heart-related discoveries are put to use in patient care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Heart Surgery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo advance the goal of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, researchers have developed a technology that simplifies and standardizes the technique for opening and closing the beating heart during surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApica Cardiovascular, a Georgia Tech and Emory University medical device startup, licensed the technology from the two institutions. The firm recently received a $5.5 million investment to further develop the system, which will make the transapical access and closure procedure required for delivering therapeutic devices to the heart more routine for cardiac surgeons. The goal is to expand the use of surgery techniques that are less invasive and do not require stopping the heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith research and development support from the Coulter Foundation Translational Research Program and the Georgia Research Alliance, the company has already completed a series of pre-clinical studies to test the functionality of the device and its biocompatibility. James Greene currently serves as the CEO of the company, which has offices in Galway, Ireland, and in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiagnosing Heart Disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELevent Degertekin\u003C\/a\u003E is designing tiny devices micromachined from silicon that may make diagnosing and treating coronary artery diseases easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDegertekin, the George W. Woodruff Chair in Mechanical Systems, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/about\/personnel\/bio.php?id=45\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPaul Hasler\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, micromachined intravascular ultrasound imaging arrays with integrated electronics. Placed on catheters inserted into the body, the devices image the arteries of the heart in three dimensions at high resolution using high-frequency ultrasound waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system boasts a more compact design and three-dimensional imaging capability for guiding cardiologists during interventions, such as those for completely blocked arteries. The technology also offers higher resolution than current intravascular ultrasound systems, which help diagnose vulnerable plaque, a leading cause of heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding for this research currently is provided by the National Institutes of Health. To commercialize the technology, the researchers have formed a startup company called SIBUS Medical, which is receiving assistance from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, a unit of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E that nurtures faculty startup companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDetecting and Treating Atherosclerosis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers are developing nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis. The award supports the interdisciplinary Center for Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine, which is led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtherosclerosis typically occurs in branched or curved regions of arteries where plaques form because of cholesterol build-up. Inflammation can alter the structure of plaques so they become more likely to rupture, potentially causing a blood vessel blockage and leading to heart attack or stroke.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are working to accomplish four goals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUsing nanoparticle probes to image and characterize atherosclerotic plaques\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiagnosing cardiovascular disease from a blood sample\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDesigning new methods for delivering anti-atherosclerosis drugs and genes into the body\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeveloping stem cell based therapies to repair damaged heart tissue\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional researchers from the Coulter Department and from Emory University are also contributing to the project. For more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Drug Dosing Following a Heart Attack\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA research team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech mechanical engineering\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/forest.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECraig Forest\u003C\/a\u003E is designing a device to quickly and accurately personalize a patient\u2019s drug dosage to prevent blood clots that can cause heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen someone experiencing heart attack symptoms arrives at an emergency room, he or she typically receives a standard dose of aspirin and\/or clopidogrel to prevent further blood clotting. But that standard dose may not be the best dose for a given individual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Forest\u2019s device, a small blood sample is sent through a microchip containing a network of microfabricated capillaries that mimic the branching coronary arteries around the human heart. Because the branches contain flow restrictions of different sizes, the failure of blood to flow through the branches with smaller restrictions indicates that a higher drug dose may be required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetermining the necessary dose of anti-clotting drugs can be difficult. Too much of the drug may cause the patient to experience gastrointestinal bleeding. Too little drug may allow additional clot formation and set the stage for another heart attack. Forest\u2019s device should help determine the right dosage for each patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmory University Department of Emergency Medicine assistant professor Jeremy Ackerman and Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor of mechanical engineering \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E are working with Forest on this project, which is supported by the American Heart Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamining Heart Valve Leakage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn estimated 1.6 million Americans suffer moderate to severe leakage through their tricuspid valve, a complex structure that closes off the heart\u2019s right ventricle from the right atrium. If left untreated, severe leakage can affect an individual\u2019s quality of life and can even lead to death.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch teams led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAjit Yoganathan\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor and Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical Engineering, have discovered causes for the tricuspid valve\u2019s leakage and ways to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. These study results could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of the condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.003897\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECirculation\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/a\u003Efound that either dilating the tricuspid valve opening or displacing the papillary muscles that control its operation can cause the valve to leak. A combination of the two actions can increase the severity of the leakage, which is called tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStandard clinical procedures that detail when and how tricuspid valve repairs should be performed need to be developed and this study suggests several items that should be considered in developing those protocols, according to the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another study published in the journal \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCIMAGING.111.965707\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECirculation: Cardiovascular Imaging\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers found that the anatomy of the heart\u2019s tricuspid valve can be used to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. Using 3-D echocardiograms from 64 individuals who exhibited assorted grades of tricuspid leakage, the researchers found that pulmonary arterial pressure, the size of the valve opening and papillary muscle position measurements could be used to predict the severity of an individual\u2019s tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study will change the focus and direction of future surgical therapies for tricuspid regurgitation to make them better and more durable, the researchers said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Coulter Department, Emory University, Children\u2019s Hospital Boston and Mount Sinai Medical Center contributed to these two studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-02-13 09:55:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:40","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64187":{"id":"64187","type":"image","title":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","body":null,"created":"1449176735","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:35","changed":"1475894564","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:44","alt":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","file":{"fid":"191965","name":"tzf68716.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1161006,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg?itok=UleGrtyg"}},"61422":{"id":"61422","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","file":{"fid":"191354","name":"txa10075.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":597562,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg?itok=-qvEhmL_"}},"108721":{"id":"108721","type":"image","title":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","body":null,"created":"1449178188","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:48","changed":"1475894725","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:25","alt":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","file":{"fid":"194024","name":"tricuspid_valve_hires_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":308309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg?itok=eVGOoypl"}}},"media_ids":["64187","61422","108721"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2582","name":"Ajit Yoganathan"},{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"23731","name":"blood clotting"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"12333","name":"Craig Forest"},{"id":"11881","name":"David Ku"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}