Teaching / Theses – BioCardioLab

The Bioengineering Unit staff teaches in the Biomedical Engineering School of the University of Pisa in the following courses:

Analisi e Modelli di Segnali Biomedici (Cod. 247II) – Prof. Luigi Landini
Analisi e Modelli di Segnali Biomedici II (Cod. 247II) – Prof. Luigi Landini
Metodi per l’analisi di Segnali Multidimensionali (Cod. 257II) – Prof. Luigi Landini
Lab Training (Cod. 1088Z) – Prof. Luigi Landini
Principi di Metodologie Diagnostiche (Cod. 746II) Ing. Simona Celi
Strumenti di Analisi Numerica per l’ingegneria Biomedica (Cod. 831II) Ing. Simona Celi
Tecnologie per la medicina rigenerativa Ing. Simona Celi
Elaborazione delle Bioimmagini (Cod. 248II) – Ing. Vincenzo Positano The course covers the basic principles of biomedical imaging analysis, ranging from image quality assessment, image filtering and segmentation, image registration, quantitative image analysis. Course material is free available (only Italian).

MSc Theses

MSc theses in Bioengineering can be developed at BioCardioLab on several topics, as:

Numerical simulations in the biomedical field
Biomedical image analysis
Design, simulation and fabrication of biomedical devices

Thesis @ BCL

Fell free to contact the BioCardioLab staff (Simona Celi, Vincenzo Positano, Luigi Landini) for further information and visits to the laboratory.

Theses Proposals with Laboratoire Sainbiose (UMR INSERM-U1059 – Mines Saint-Etienne)

Multiscale modeling of mass transport across large blood vessels. Investigations in the domain of arterial mechanobiology, in collaboration with vascular surgeons.

Theses Proposals with UCL (London)

Fluid structure interaction of flow in patient geometry of congenital aorta In this analysis we perform fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations on patient specific geometries of patient diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrom (HLHS) disease. Patients suffering from this condition present an underdevelopped aorta which needs to be repaired (reconstructed) using additional biocompatible material. The project is based on a computational modelling approach using LS-Dyna software to design the FSI simulation along with other tools to pre- and post-process the geometry and results. Good understanding of basics of fluid flow and structural mechanics is required. Eventual experimental set-up can be built towards the end of the project in order to validate computational results.

Theses Proposals with UNIPI (Dep. of Aerospace Engineering)

Study of Numerical Simulations of Thoracic Aorta Hemodynamics: Comparison with In Silico Measurements and Stochastic Sensitivity Analysis

Theses Proposal with FUJIFILM-VisualSonics Amsterdam, The Netherlands
(Remote + Onsite/Industrial Visit)
Development of AI Tools for Ultrasound (US) & Photoacoustic (PA) Image Visualization and Quantification

The goal of this project is to develop a framework to optimize the 3D visualization and quantification of high resolution USPA imaging. In particular: design, implementation and validation of ML tools for USPA image segmentation, visualization and quantification. The project is part of an extraordinary industrial experience with possibility to assist in-vivo experiments with the USPA technology in our lab in Amsterdam. You will be working closely with a PhD student and R&D manager. Due to current travel restrictions, we can start remotely and with possibility in the near future to visit us at the European Headquarters in Amsterdam. Further details can be found in the following links:
https://www.visualsonics.com/
https://www.mgsafe.eu/home.html

Running Theses

- - Ilaria Verdirame – Studio della fluidodinamica dell’auricola sinistra
  - Anna Sara Gervasi – Sviluppo di una procedura integrata di statistical shape modelling e simulazione numerica per la valutazione emodinamica di pazienti affetti da scompenso cardiaco
  - Teresa Scundi – Simulazione FEM della procedura di stenting per pazienti congeniti in presenza di anastomosi cavo-polmonare totale
  - Claudia Plutino – Studio dell’effetto del dispositivo percutaneo Cardioband sulla riduzione del rigurgito della valvola tricuspide

2023

- - Domenico Pizzuto – Multimodal Image Registration Workflow for Postoperative Assessment of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Annular Reduction
  - Mattia dell’Amico – Design and fabrication of 3D printed deformable model of patient-specific left atrium for PIV investigation
  - Susanna Ercolini – Mechanical and microstructural local characterization of soft biological tissues integrating biaxial and SALS techniques
  - Stefania Guidi – Valutazione della rigidezza di pareti vascolari attraverso l’analisi delle immagini CT gated

2022

- - Mariarita Vottari – Mechanical properties of aortic tissue in vivo through the analysis of CT-ECG gated images
  - Eleonora Storto – In-vitro fluid dynamic analysis of deformable 3D printed-based models through Particle Image Velocimetry technique
  - Giulia Tosto – Design and set-up of a 3D printed left heart flow simulator for the simulation of the MitraClip procedure
  - Marco Campi – Simulazione CFD della crescita di placche aterosclerotiche nelle arterie carotidi
  - Edoardo Cheli – Simulazione CFD dell’emodinamica di arterie carotidee sane e patologiche
  - Marilena Mazzoli – Statistical Shape Analysis of the Thoracic Aorta with supra-aortic vessels: development of a Non Rigid Registration Algorithm and correlation with CFD simulation results
  - Stefano Quartieri – Caratterizzazione meccanica di materiali iperelastici anisotropi mediante tecnica dic applicata a test di trazione biassiale e bulge test
  - Chiara D’Alessandro – Development of a Fluid Structure Interaction workflow for Left Atrial Appendage shapes to evaluate thromboembolic potential
  - Margherita Giannoni – Computational Analysis of the parametric Left Atrial Appendage to study the risk of thrombus formation
  - Gabriele Gallo – Numerical simulations of the carotid district for the evaluation of hemodynamic parameters
  - Chiara Carabelli – Simulazione mediante tecniche agli elementi finiti della fluidodinamica in pazienti sottoposti a circolazione extracorporea
  - Francesca Dell’Agnello – Development and implementation of a combined CFD and mesh morphing technique for the thoracic aorta
  - Lucia Giuggioli – A CFD/PCA integrated study to investigate the effect of inflow conditions on abdominal aortic aneurysm hemodynamics

2021
- - Silvio Centonze: Studio CFD dell’influenza delle condizioni di inlet nella sezione della valvola artica sulla fluidodinamica coronarica in Ambiente SinVascular mediante tecniche UQ
  - Serena Prizio – Strategie di unloading del ventricolo sinistro nell’ECMO veno-arterioso periferico: simulazione su banco-prova (Tesi Specializzazione in Anestesia, Rianimazione, Terapia Intensiva e del Dolore)
  - Federica Giovannini – Caratterizzazione meccanica e funzionale dei materiali della stampante 3D Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy per il settore vascolare
  - Raffaella Erario – Studio della fluidodinamica della procedura di shunt modificato di Blalock-Taussig mediante simulazioni CFD
  - Nicola Bechini – Effects of the Cardioband procedure on the mitral valve
  - Alessandro Benvenuti – Analisi degli effetti delle vene polmonari sulla fluidodinamica dell’auricola sinistra mediante simulazioni numeriche agli elementi finiti
  - Eleonora Del Pia: Studio degli effetti di procedura di chiusura dell’auricola sinistra tramite simulazioni di fluidodinamica computazionale
  - Miriana Pititto: Quantificazione dell’incertezza delle proprietà meccaniche per analisi numeriche fluido-strutturali di grandi vasi
  - Michela Caridi – Simulazione numerica della procedura ECMO
  - Simone Garzia: Automated 3D aortic segmentation of 4D flow MRI using deep learning
  - Aurelia Lamia: Simulazione numerica agli elementi finiti della procedura Cardioband® per la correzione del rigurgito mitralico
  - Sergio Longo: Graph Neural Networks as surrogate for thoracic aortic aneurysm wall shear stress estimation
  - Claudia Angeletti: Development and implementation of a ROM-based strategy for fast aortic flow hemodynamics evaluation
  - Sandra Perondi: Studio della fluidodinamica della coartazione aortica mediante tecniche CFD e stocastiche
  - Niccolò Mori: Circulatory mock loop for thoracic aorta hemodynamics analysis: stochastic sensitivity to inlet conditions and comparison with numerical simulations results (Ingegneria Aerospaziale)

2020
- - Massimo Scolaro – Simulazione su banco prova dell’interazione cuore – ECMO veno-arterioso periferico (Tesi Specializzazione in Anestesia, Rianimazione, Terapia Intensiva e del Dolore)
  - Enrico Vignali: Emodinamica dell’aorta toracica: effetto delle condizioni di inlet su esperimenti e simulazioni (Ingegneria Aerospaziale).
  - Elisa Benelli: Studio dell’aggregazione piastrinica in condizioni di alto shear stress: confronto tra test basati su agonisti solubili ed attivazione spontanea (UNIPR)
  - Maria Teresa Marino: Sviluppo di un simulatore fluido-dinamico per la valutazione del flusso coronarico attraverso risonanza magnetica ad alto campo.
  - Roberta Tralongo: Sviluppo e implementazione di un workflow per l’analisi di immagini retiniche di Angio-OCT
  - Andrea Baldini: Study of a cohort of patients affected by Tetralogy of Fallot: an integrated approach between numerical simulation and experimental activities.

2019

2018
- Valeria Grasso: Unsupervised analysis of phase contrast MRI by maximally stable extremal region algorithm for patient-specific tissue characterization (with UCL)
- Giulia Barondi: Sviluppo di un banco prova fluidodinamico per lo studio funzionale di protesi valvolari
- Alice Covelli: Valutazione delle alterazioni fluidodinamiche dell’atrio destro mediante analisi computazionale
- Mario di Leonardo: Sviluppo di modelli in silico per l’analisi morfologica e funzionale dell’auricola sinistra mediante simulazioni numeriche CFD
- Dario Sabatino: Planning dell’intervento di chiusura della auricola sinistra mediante approccio integrato di tecniche di imaging e analisi FEM
- Zaira Manigrasso: Mock cardiac pump compatible with magnetic resonance imaging: design, simulation and fabrication (with UCL)

2017
- Benigno Marco Fanni: Image-based mechanical characterization of large blood vessels: a combined approach of experimental and computational tools (with UCL)