Translational Cardiovascular Modeling: Tetralogy of Fallot and Modeling of Diseases

Translational cardiovascular modeling (TCM) combines clinical data with physiologically and biophysically based models of the heart, vessels, or circulation while aiming to contribute to diagnosis or optimal clinical management. Models of heart mechanics and electromechanical models are applicable when assessing ventricular function, contributing to the planning of optimal intervention. During a perioperative period or acute exacerbation of heart failure, close to real-time running models can be coupled with signals monitoring cardiovascular physiology. Blood flow assessed by combining phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging with flow models can contribute to the decision about a possible intervention, e.g., on heart valves or large vessels. Furthermore, advanced imaging and image processing constrained by biophysical models allows for the study of distinct patterns, which could contribute to early detection or mapping a disease progress. In this chapter, we demonstrate the applicability of some TCM methods on tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)—the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. A number of already existing modeling techniques can be applied on the cohort of TOF. Likewise, some novel techniques developed specifically for the group of TOF patients could serve in some other pathologies. This whole approach leads to an acronym TOFMOD, standing for Tetralogy of Fallot and Modeling of Diseases.