The National Research Nuclear University (Moscow Institute of Physics Technology) announced the development of a digital assistant for cardiologists and arrhythmologists.
A university spokesperson stated that an AI-based decision support system developed by the university's biophysicists will help combat atrial fibrillation.
The problem with atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, is that the electrical impulses in the heart don't propagate as a regular forward wave, but rather form chaotic vortices. To develop a treatment plan, special catheters are inserted directly into the heart on the operating table to read the electrical signals coming from the heart's inner surface. Based on the data collected, a map of the impulse wave's propagation is created, and the doctor uses this map to design the treatment plan.
The digital assistant developed by the Russian university allows for the mathematical calculation of how the excitatory front will spread in a patient based on individual characteristics such as atrial geometry or fibrous tissue, as well as showing how this excitability will change during a specific procedure and the effectiveness of that procedure. This will reduce surgical time and make surgery more personalized.
Alexander Zolotarev, the author of the development and deputy director of the Institute of Intelligent Cyber Systems for Scientific Affairs at the National Research Nuclear University (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology), said: "We do not provide ready-made recommendations instead of the doctor, because this system is operated to support a decision made by doctors... We highlight the areas that the doctor should pay attention to."
