Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Cardiac Procedure Testing Prior to Embarking on Large Animal Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
Validation of Virtual Imaging of a Dynamic, Functioning Aortic Valve Using an Ex Vivo Porcine Heart
Kenichi Kamiya1, Yukihiro Nagatani2, Shinya Terada3
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Setatsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga Japan.
Purpose:
To investigate a virtual reality imaging system in terms of visualization accuracy and appropriate orientation when displaying cardiac anatomy, we used an ex vivo model enabling direct comparison between reconstructed 3-dimensional visualization of intracardiac structures and real-time visual images.
Description:
We established a systole-diastole platform using a swine heart activated by an external mechanical pump and reservoir, allowing simultaneous acquisition of endoscopic visual and computed tomography images of the aortic valve. Virtual images were processed from computed tomography data using 3-dimensional software (the Vesalius 3D suite; PS Medtech, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and compared with visual images seen through a fiberoptic scope.
Evaluation:
An endoscope gave a fine view of the aortic valve, whereas the virtual images elucidated the valve structures. Superimposition of the images from the 2 different modalities showed the virtual reality images precisely matching the visual images in both systole and diastole, confirming the validity of this virtual reality application.
Conclusion:
In view of this demonstrated fidelity of virtual imaging, this technology may be of sufficiently high quality to be considered a gold standard for cardiac anatomy.
