# Interoperative Cardiac Tissue Imaging: Implications in Congenital Heart Disease

> **NIH NIH R13** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $9,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This multi-PI application seeks support for a first of its kind conference titled “Frontiers in Intraoperative Cardiac
Tissue Identification”. The conference will promote the treatment of cardiac disease and is thus relevant to the
mission of the NHLBI. Our specific objective is to introduce the clinical and research community in the field of
pediatric cardiac surgery to advances in this field. There has been enormous progress in the management of
children with congenital heart disease. As we tackle the increasing complexity of surgical procedures, there has
been a proportionate increase in the risk of heart block necessitating pacemaker placement. We will explore
emerging biomedical instrumentation and technologies that can be utilized for real-time tissue identification to
mitigate this potential complication. The conference will gather experts in the various technologies which are
currently being explored for real-time conduction tissue identification. We expect that this will stimulate critical
thinking and clinical translation of these technologies to help prevent injury to the conduction system during the
repair of congenital heart defects. We aim to create a forum for the presentation and development of new ideas
and strategies for intraoperative cardiac tissue identification by bringing together scientists, engineers, and
clinicians in congenital cardiovascular medicine. We will gather a group of presenters and participants comprising
widely acknowledged leaders in the area as well as younger faculty and researchers who are involved in high-
quality research in this field. Speakers will represent both clinicians and non-clinical scientists who work in the
fields of cardiac surgery, pathology, imaging, image processing, and electrophysiology. We will place special
emphasis on the participation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, thereby actively
supporting diversity in cardiovascular science. With this conference, we aim to provide an interactive forum for
students, postdocs, and junior investigators to present their work and interact with leaders in the field. Also, we
aim to facilitate interactions between junior and under-represented minority scientists and clinicians working in
the cardiothoracic surgery, imaging, image processing, and pathology fields with prominent senior and
international investigators in the field. As a first of a kind conference, we expect an attendance of 80 to 120
participants. After implementation, we will evaluate the conference and envision that it will be held yearly in
proximity to leading centers for cardiac surgery, heart transplantation or interventional cardiology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318255
- **Project number:** 1R13HL160044-01
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert Hitchcock
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $9,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-20 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318255

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318255, Interoperative Cardiac Tissue Imaging: Implications in Congenital Heart Disease (1R13HL160044-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318255. Licensed CC0.

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