Supercomputer helps Minneapolis doctors with cardiac decisions

A California supercomputer is advising heart specialists in Minneapolis on when they should — and more importantly when they shouldn’t — thread instruments inside patients’ blood vessels to examine blockages.

The so-called HeartFlow system uses images from a patient’s CT scan and analyzes them against volumes of data on the human vascular system and the science of fluid dynamics. As a result, it can diagnose patients’ needs — and help doctors avert heart attacks and stroke — without the costly and invasive procedure of inserting a catheter.

http://www.startribune.com/supercomputer-helps-minneapolis-doctors-with-cardiac-decisions/364935151/