CorFlux predicts aortic ruptures and aims for the global market
CorFlux is a joint project of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital and JAMK University of Applied Sciences with an important goal: to develop an analysis to predict aortic ruptures. Aortic rupture is one of the common causes of death worldwide, and well over 1 billion euros is spent on aortic aneurysm follow-ups in Europe alone. Therefore, the global market for a tool to assess the aortic rupture risk is in the billions of euros.
CorFlux is based on heart surgery research led by Professor Marja Hedman at the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital as well as the work on mathematical modelling and computational fluid dynamics of Principal Researcher, Docent Matti Kurki and his team at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The collaboration has led to a model that predicts aortic ruptures and to an algorithm that is at the core of the commercialisation project.
At present, there is no effective analytical tool on the market to predict the risk of aortic rupture in individual patients. Therefore, hospitals must perform repeated aneurysm follow-ups, which leads up to longer queues and results in substantial costs to national economies – and ruptures occur despite the follow-ups.
The CorFlux analysis utilizes the patient’s medical data and an MRI or CT scan to create a digital model and an estimate of the aortic rupture risk based on the algorithm. The goal is to have the product included in everyday clinical decision-making. With CorFlux, patients with the highest risk can be sent to surgery in time, which helps to save lives. Average-risk patients can in turn stay in the follow-up, while the frequency of follow-up on low-risk patients can be decreased or stopped altogether. This frees up resources for other purposes.