The image on the computer screen may look like something you would watch on the forecast section of the news. Instead, it shows an atrial fibrillation wave break – an electrical disturbance on the surface of the heart that is closely connected with the danger of stroke and heart failure.
Damian Redfearn (Medicine), a clinician and Professor of cardiac electrophysiology, collaborated with engineer and computer scientist Mohammad Hassan Shariat, a Queen’s graduate and former research fellow at Kingston Health Science Centre, to develop a new approach for detecting these wave breaks.
The computer-enhanced image pinpoints precise areas of the heart where fibrillations originate, which can then lead to more effective and safe treatment.
The procedure to prevent fibrillation wave breaks, known as ablation, consists in inserting a catheter through a vein and burning the areas of the heart where fibrillations occur. While the procedure is effective in stopping fibrillation from happening, it also kills that specific section of the heart wall, which is why precision is very important. That’s exactly where computational imaging can help.
In 2022, Dr. Redfearn’s software passed an important milestone: the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent for his invention, a key step on the road from idea to product – in this case, software that can make its way to hospitals worldwide and help heart patients live longer, healthier lives.
Intellectual property protection can help researchers and their partners further develop discoveries and explore opportunities to bring new technologies to market. At Queen’s, the Commercialization and Ventures team supports researchers as they explore pathways for their discoveries beyond the university. This can include intellectual property strategy and protection, connecting researchers with potential partners, and supporting the development and commercialization of research-based technologies.