Tribune News Network
Doha
Researchers at Qatar University (QU) are making strides in cardiovascular investigations with the development of a revolutionary programmable pump, named QU-Vitro. This innovative device is designed to accurately mimic blood flow in the cardiovascular system, significantly enhancing laboratory experiments on cultured cardiac cells. Dr. Huseyin Yalcin from the Biomedical Research Centre is leading the project, which has the potential to revolutionise the way scientists study both healthy and diseased cardiac cells.
Dr. Huseyin Yalcin, a principal investigator at QU’s Biomedical Research Centre, is leading a multidisciplinary team comprising experts from various departments. The project team includes Dr. Muhammad Chowdhury, assistant professor from the Electrical Engineering Department; Dr. Abdulla Khalid Al-Ali, associate professor from the Computer Engineering Department; and Dr. Abdelali Agouni, professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences from the College of Pharmacy. Additionally, research assistants Sajid Islam, Onur Mutlu, Noaman Mazhar, and Muhammad Zohaib are contributing to this groundbreaking project.
The cardiovascular system is essential for circulating nutrients and oxygen throughout the body while removing waste products. The heart acts as the driving pump, and the vasculature serves as the distribution network. The inner surfaces of blood vessels and heart walls are lined with endothelial cells, which are exposed to mechanical forces from blood flow, known as hemodynamics. These forces are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health. Disruptions in hemodynamics can lead to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as aneurysms and atherosclerosis.
The cardiovascular system, which is responsible for circulating nutrients and oxygen throughout the body while removing waste and carbon dioxide, has the heart as the driving pump and the vasculature as the distribution network. The inner surfaces of blood vessels and heart walls are lined with endothelial cells, which experience mechanical forces from the flowing blood, known as hemodynamics. These forces are critical for maintaining cardiovascular health via biological signalling. Disruptions in this balance, often caused by abnormal hemodynamics, contribute to various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as aneurysms and atherosclerosis.
By mimicking physiological conditions, in-vitro systems, which allow cells to grow outside the body, are invaluable for studying the onset and progression of CVDs. They are also essential for testing cellular responses to drug therapies and for tissue-engineering applications, where mechanical signals from fluid flow are vital for the growth of engineered cardiac tissues. The complex, pulsatile nature of blood flow makes replicating these conditions in vitro challenging, requiring precise control over hemodynamic parameters such as shear stress and flow velocity.
Existing systems used for generating continuous fluid flow in laboratory settings, such as peristaltic pumps, piston pumps, pneumatic pumps, and syringe pumps, have notable limitations. While these systems can generate flow, none fully replicates the complex flow profiles necessary for extended durations while maintaining a sterile environment. Syringe pumps, for example, are unsuitable for continuous applications due to their limited fluid volume, whereas peristaltic pumps, though capable of continuous flow, struggle to control flow profiles accurately. Pneumatic pumps, despite being more advanced, are bulky, difficult to operate, and often produce inconsistent flow profiles due to air compressibility.
Dr. Yalcin, with his background in mechanical engineering, conceptualised a novel solution to overcome these challenges. He proposed combining different flow generation principles from existing systems to create a compact, programmable pump capable of continuous fluid flow. The QU-Vitro, an innovative device, accurately mimics physiological blood flow in in-vitro experiments to support cardiovascular investigations.
The project team successfully secured a High Impact Grant to fund QU-Vitro’s development, receiving positive reviews for its potential impact on the field. The pump, named “QU-Vitro” by the team with the project title “A Programmable Physiological Cardiovascular Flow Mimicking Pump for In Vitro Perfusion Experiments,” aims to provide a physiological cardiovascular flow-mimicking system for in-vitro perfusion experiments. Although specific details of QU-Vitro are currently confidential to protect the invention, the project is progressing, with completion expected by the end of 2024.
Upon completion, QU-Vitro is expected to revolutionise cardiovascular research by providing a more accurate and practical tool for studying cardiac cells. This device will support investigations into the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases, the testing of novel drug compounds, and tissue engineering applications. By closely mimicking native blood flow, QU-Vitro will enable researchers to achieve more reliable and relevant results in their experiments.Dr. Yalcin expressed his excitement about the project, saying, “Qatar has been producing cutting-edge science and inventions in many fields with this project. We are aiming to develop a novel, compact, and practical system useful for cardiovascular research labs around the world.”
Prof. Asma Al-Thani, vice president for Health and Medical Sciences and Director of Biomedical Research Centre at QU, highlighted the significance of this project for multidisciplinary research. She noted, “BRC is a leading centre in the nation, conducting multiple important projects in the medical and engineering fields. This new invention is a good example of multidisciplinary research combining engineering and medicine to improve human health locally and globally, aligning very well with our mission. This project also supports our efforts to promote Biomedical Engineering at our university.”
