4D flow MR and Data Assimilation derived Right- heart Haemodynamics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
4D flow MR and Data Assimilation derived Right- heart Haemodynamics - a pilot study
IRAS ID
327322
Contact name
Lian Gan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Durham University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
na, na
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Pulmonary hypertension occurs when blood pressure in the blood vessels connecting the heart and the lungs is elevated. It affects 1% of the global population. Higher pressure happens because of higher resistance in the blood flow circulation through the lungs. This means that to maintain sufficient blood flow, our heart needs to work harder than normal. If this condition persists without effective treatment, the heart will fail to work within a small number of years. To correctly diagnose pulmonary hypertension and its stage, and to provide correct treatment, clinicians need to measure the pressure in the blood vessel connect the heart to the lungs (pulmonary artery).
To measure the pressure in the pulmonary artery, a method called right heart catheterisation must be used. This is an invasive method, where a thin and long flexible tube or catheter is inserted through the skin and a big vein in the patients leg and guided up to the heart with X-ray images. The catheter will measure the pressure in the pulmonary artery and at a few other locations in the right heart chambers. This procedure typically takes up to half day to full day in hospital.
Our multidisciplinary team will develop an innovative technique to replace the invasive right heart catheterisation for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension. This new technique is highly automated, harmless, and non-invasive and involves MRI scanning. A computer algorithm will analyse the data from the MRI then calculate the pressure waveforms everywhere in the right heart, without additional clinician intervention. We will compare the pressure calculated with that measured by invasive catheterisation. The NHS costs for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension will be reduced significantly in terms of changing from a highly skilled procedure and relatively long stay in hospital to a short MRI scan session requiring minimal post-scan clinician intervention. It will reduce the burden for the practitioner and patients and have the potential to change the future clinical management of this disease. This study protocol describes the initial scans that will be performed to inform design of a future larger study.REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0183
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion