A new AI-powered heart mapping system from the University of California, San Diego, enhances accuracy in treating arrhythmias, such as AFib, by offering a safer and more precise approach to cardiac ablation through advanced simulations and non-invasive diagnostics.
Image Credit: Lightspring
Physicians at UC San Diego Health are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a non-invasive, computer-based mapping system that has led to a new approach for treating ventricular arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm, including atrial fibrillation (AFib). Traditional arrhythmia-mapping techniques are not always reliable, which led researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, to create a new method involving AI that assists physicians in locating the direct source of a patient's arrhythmia.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AFib is the most common heart arrhythmia that affects more than 12 million Americans and can be fatal. The standard of care for treating the condition is ablation, which involves inserting small catheters into the heart to burn or freeze specific areas responsible for the electrical signals that cause an abnormal heartbeat. Before the procedure, physicians use FDA-approved technology to locate a patient's arrhythmia by converting their EKG data into specific source maps that leverage millions of arrhythmia simulations performed by technology resources, including the Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego.
Gordon Ho, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist at UC San Diego Health, is available to discuss the use of AI in arrhythmia treatment.
Gordon Ho, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist specializing in cardiac electrophysiology, treating patients with fast, slow, and irregular heart rhythms. Specifically, he has expertise in performing minimally invasive procedures to treat atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. He is also board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine.
His primary goal is to provide safe, individualized, and evidence-based care for patients with all heart rhythm disorders. He is skilled in catheter ablation of heart rhythm disorders, including patient-specific mapping and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AFib), atrial flutter, atrial tachycardias, ventricular tachycardia (VT), premature ventricular contractions (PVC), and supraventricular tachycardias (SVT). He also performs device-based therapy, including pacemakers (including leadless pacemakers) for slow heart rhythms (bradycardia), implantable defibrillators (ICDs) for life-threatening arrhythmias, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for heart failure, and implantable loop recorders (ILRs) to detect arrhythmias.
Utilizing his biomedical engineering background, Ho conducts innovative research to develop novel, cutting-edge technologies that enhance the treatment of heart rhythm disorders. His research projects include the development of computer-based mapping techniques to enhance patient-specific therapy for all arrhythmias and the study of mechanisms underlying refractory atrial fibrillation.
Ho is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association.
Doctors vs. AI: Who Makes Better Urgent Care Calls?