EACTS Innovation Report 2025

INNOVATION REPORT

CONTENTS Foreword

3

EACTS Innovation Summit

4

Innovation in Action

7

Innovation Grant Recipients

16

The 39th EACTS Annual Meeting

21

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT 3

FOREWORD

The constant advancement in cardiothoracic surgery stands as a testament to the vital role of innovation in modern medicine. Our field, which deals with some of the most complex and lifecritical procedures, continuously pushes the boundaries of what is surgically possible—driven by a commitment to improving patient outcomes, reducing procedural risks, and enhancing long-term quality of life.

Cardiothoracic surgery has long been defined by its bold pursuit of progress. From the first openheart procedures to today’s complex minimally invasive and robotic techniques, innovation has continually reshaped what is possible within this high-stakes specialty. Each new advancement brings us closer to safer procedures, faster recoveries, and more personalised care — transforming outcomes for patients facing some of the most life-threatening conditions.

But innovation in this field is not only about technology — it is about vision, collaboration, and the constant questioning of established limits. It requires a culture that embraces change, encourages interdisciplinary dialogue, and supports rigorous evaluation of emerging ideas.

The EACTS 3rd Innovation Summit, held from 10 - 12 April 2025, near Paris, set out to achieve exactly this, through the creation of an environment where innovation can thrive.

Through dynamic presentations and open discussions, every idea with the potential to benefit patients was welcomed and explored.

Topics included emerging technologies in cardiothoracic surgery, the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics in clinical practice, advances in next-generation heart valve design, the use of virtual reality for surgical training, and developments in total artificial heart systems. In addition, sessions explored the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship, including guidance on how to initiate and develop a start-up.

Abstract submissions for this year’s Summit increased significantly compared to previous years. Therefore, abstract submissions for the upcoming 4th Summit in April 2026 will once again be announced early for all EACTS members.

Innovation is a top priority at EACTS and through our Innovation Hub and Grant Programme we strive to remove barriers and foster early-stage research. We aim to inspire the next generation of cardiothoracic surgery advancements and harness the power of research and innovation to secure better outcomes for patients.

We hope this Innovation Report will serve both as a source of insight and inspiration, encouraging thoughtful engagement with innovation, promoting the exchange of ideas, fostering constructive debate, and contributing to the removal of barriers to progress in our field.

Friedhelm Beyersdorf

Mark Hazekamp

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EACTS INNOVATION SUMMIT PARIS, 2025 The 3rd EACTS Innovation Summit hosted international cardiothoracic (CT) experts in Paris from 10 – 12 April to set the CT surgery agenda for the near future by advancing and implementing disruptive innovations.

The two-day Summit was led by EACTS Past Presidents, Friedhelm Beyersdorf and Mark Hazekamp and welcomed an invited audience of surgeons, cardiologists, allied health professionals, engineers, industrialists, biochemists, scientists, health economists and other academics, who convened to explore, shape and plan the new future of cardiothoracic surgical interventions.

Delegates from 20 countries participated in the Summit, which showcased 46 presentations in total, including 17 selected abstracts and four delivered by recipients of our Innovation Grant.

“

We are here to change the world. Innovation is important for the EACTS community because we are always looking to collaborate and find better ways to treat our patients. I look forward to learning new approaches to medicine and taking practical next steps.

Friedhelm Beyersdorf - EACTS Past President From the pool of 17 abstracts, a dedicated team of reviewers selected two outstanding individuals to receive the prestigious Innovation Summit Award.

This year’s awardees were Elizabeth Cordoves from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States, recognized for her work on ex vivo preservation of living valves for heart valve transplantation, and Michael Graber from Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, honored for his research on resolving cardiac fibrosis in heart failure. Their innovative contributions exemplify the Summit’s commitment to advancing transformative research in cardiovascular medicine.

“

The EACTS Innovation Hub is a game changer. It brings together the researchers, scientists, clinicians, startups, and industry partners, who can foster great ideas in the real world.

Tommi Pätilä – Grant Recipient

This year marked the inaugural launch of the Innovation Grant, awarded by our newly established Innovation Hub. As part of this exciting new initiative, four recipients were selected for their outstanding research contributions and were invited to present their work at the Summit. Their presentations highlighted novel approaches and forwardthinking solutions that align with the mission of the Innovation Hub to foster groundbreaking advancements in the field.

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT 5 A highlight of the Summit was the keynote address delivered by Professor Karl Jakobs from CERN. His presentation provided an insightful overview of ongoing advancements in particle physics at CERN and explored their growing relevance to the field of medicine.

Professor Jakobs emphasised the innovative applications of particle physics technologies in improving approaches in healthcare. His talk inspired attendees to think beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and stimulated conversations that explored new avenues for cross-sector collaboration.

Overall, the EACTS Innovation Summit showcased the immense potential of cardiothoracic surgery to harness cutting-edge

scientific breakthroughs — including advances in AI, robotics, nanotechnology, quantum technology, and synthetic biology. Clinically relevant examples were presented and discussed, such as robotic-assisted aortic valve replacement, the role of AI in shaping future guidelines, and the development of conductive patches using tissue-engineered cells for patients with heart failure, reducing or even avoiding perioperative co-morbidities — among many others.

To build on this successful momentum in CT surgery, preparations for the 4th EACTS Innovation Summit — scheduled for Spring 2026 — are already underway.

“

Innovation rules the world now, and artificial intelligence is here to stay. We have to adapt. Cardiothoracic surgery has always been a pioneer branch in innovation, the Summit here in Paris is proof of that.

Korkut Bostanci – Thoracic Disease Domain Chair Watch the Innovation Summit highlights here

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our industry sponsors for their generous support of the Innovation Summit. Your contributions have been instrumental in facilitating a dynamic forum for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and advancements in cardiothoracic surgery. We also deeply appreciate your continued commitment to EACTS, which enables us to pursue our mission of improving patient outcomes through education, innovation, and collaboration.

Keynote Speaker Fundamental research in particle physics and applications in medicine

Karl Jakobs Professor of Particle Physics, University of Freiburg Karl Jakobs’ main activities of research are the study of the Higgs particle and the search for extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. He held leading roles in experiments at CERN and at the US laboratory Fermilab/Chicago. He was Scientific Leader of the ATLAS Experiment for four years until 2021.

He is now the Chairperson of the European Committee for Future Accelerators (ECFA).

Addressing the Innovation Summit, Prof. Jakobs made a compelling case for the role that CERN has played in knowledge creation, supporting innovation and technological developments.

The development of accelerators and detectors has impact and applications in science, medicine and industry. There has been a significant transfer of analysis methods to hightech industries, insurance companies and banks.

Today CERN is the world-leading laboratory for particle physics. It operates the largest and most powerful particle accelerator, which is the cornerstone to a very rich physics programme.

In addition to leading the way in innovation and technological development, CERN plays a critical role in the formation of young physicists in an international and highly competitive environment.

With funding from 24 member states and significant relationships with a dozen other countries, CERN has 15,000 users and is at the heart of worldwide collaboration on critical science.

Multiple medical applications have originated from CERN. Particle physics instruments and methods are ubiquitous in today’s hospitals, including accelerators, detectors, computing and algorithms. CERN can also be credited with the development of PET (positron emission tomography), MRI scanning, cancer therapy with particle beams and digital X-ray detectors.

Therapy centres with a strong connection to CERN include CNAO in Pavia, Italy; MedAustria; and HIT Heidelberg / GSI Darmstadt in Germany.

Further developments based on the ATLAS magnet system include GaToroid, an innovative lightweight gantry based on superconducting toroid magnets. The reduction in size, weight and complexity of the magnetic structures allow a hadron-therapy beam to reach the patient from different angles.

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INNOVATION IN ACTION In this section you can read a summary of a selection of the presentations that were presented at the 3rd Innovation Summit in Paris.

INNOVATION SUMMIT

01

Robotic cardiac surgery: innovation and application Vinay Badhwar

MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, West Virginia University Dr. Vinay Badhwar gave a fascinating presentation on the future of robotic cardiac surgery, which he expects to have a transformative impact over the next few years.

Last year Dr Badhwar and his team at West Virginia University Heart and Vascular Institute performed the world’s first combined robotic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass operation.

The procedure used a robotic cardiac platform that Dr. Badhwar helped to develop, using a single incision to the patient’s chest.

Dr Badhwar believes that the ability to perform valve surgery and coronary artery bypass surgery fully robotically through a single incision has the potential to open a new era of robotic heart surgery, paving the way for less invasive operations.

Addressing delegates at the Innovation Summit, he discussed the proliferation of robotic cardiac programmes in the United States. Currently, 15% of all MR repairs in the US are performed robotically. 170 new hospitals started robotic cardiac valve programmes in 2024 alone. Similar growth is being seen in other parts of the world.

A total of 300 patients underwent robotic aortic valve replacement (RAVR) at 10 established robotic cardiac programmes around the world between January 2020 and July 2024. This patient cohort was the subject of a study published in the European Journal of CardioThoracic Surgery this year. Results were highly encouraging: the operative mortality rate was 0.7% and renal failure 1.7%, with a median length of stay of five days. Another study published this year in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery showed significant benefits of RAVR over TAVR. Dr. Badhwar said several groups of patients would benefit from robotic cardiac surgery. These include patients at increased risk from conventional surgery; those who may not tolerate a sternotomy; and those with additional comorbidities and lesions.

Proliferation of robotic cardiac programmes in the US

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT INNOVATION SUMMIT

02

AI in cardiac surgery and cardiovascular diseases Sandy Engelhardt

Department of Internal Medicine III & Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology in healthcare, with its integration into cardiac surgery offering significant advancements in precision, efficiency and patient outcomes. However, a comprehensive understanding of AI’s applications, benefits, challenges and future directions in cardiac surgery is needed to inform its safe and effective implementation.

Sandy Engelhardt leads the Group Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital, whose main research goal is to leverage AI in image processing for precision medicine and to support surgeons with computer-assisted tools.

Prof. Dr. Engelhardt leads a joint project between the Heidelberg Medical Faculty and Mainz University Medical Centre which is developing individualised therapies for patients with heart failure using extensive data analyses with artificial intelligence.

Recent progress includes generative models, multimodal foundation models and federated learning, which enable a wide spectrum of novel exciting applications and scenarios for cardiac image analysis and cardiovascular interventions.

The disruptive nature of these novel technologies enables concurrent text and image analysis by vision-language transformer models.

Teams can access image reports, synthesis of novel images conditioned on certain textual properties, and visual questioning and answering in an oral or written dialogue style. These models also facilitate the retrieval of medical images from a large database based on a description of the pathology or specifics of the dataset of interest. Federated learning is an additional ingredient in these novel developments, facilitating multi-centre collaborative training of AI approaches and therefore access to large clinical cohorts.

Prof. Dr. Engelhardt promoted the concept of the data-driven cardiac surgeon and identifying opportunities for AI-vision language models in cardiothoracic surgery to improve access to surgical education for surgeons around the world.

AI needs good data and Prof. Dr. Engelhardt reaffirmed the importance of data sharing to enable large-scale cardiovascular research across multiple centres through the creation of long-lasting infrastructure between hospitals.

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9

Where are we with novel valve technology

INNOVATION SUMMIT

03

Pedro del Nido

Chairman, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, and William E. Ladd Professor of Child Surgery, Harvard Medical School Valvular heart disease is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality globally.

As a result, demand is growing for novel valve replacements. Current prosthetic valve replacement options, such as bioprosthetic and mechanical heart valves, are limited by structural valve degeneration requiring reoperation or the need for lifelong anticoagulation. Significant investment is being committed to the development of alternative solutions that can overcome these limitations.

and elastin, with varying orientations and distributions within each layer.

Traditionally, the way we have looked at valve replacement has been evolutionary. We started off with a simple idea, which was to take the valve from a donor and introduce it into the patient.

Then came pericardial valves, which have a good track record of durability and have been used for decades in cardiac surgery. However, like all bioprosthetic valves, they are susceptible to structural valve degeneration over time.

With tissue engineering the biggest problem is matching durability, in other words the reabsorption rate of the material with the biology of the patient, and that problem is still not solved.

The mechanical world has had a high degree of success, in terms of solving the durability problem. The problem with carbon is thrombogenicity; it does not allow any surface layer to grow on it and will always be a hostile environment. Furthermore, the design has always been standard, a semi-lunar tri-leaflet valve. And if it isn’t a three-leaflet valve then it is a two-leaflet valve, and that is as far as we have got.

The reality is that nature is much more complex. A native aortic valve is meant to last 100 years.

Native heart valve leaflets are composed of a three-layered structure primarily made of collagen

What are the key characteristics of an optimal heart valve substitute? Durability (it should be expected to last more than 15 years); biocompatibility; and optimal flow dynamics.

What are the novel leaflet materials that people are looking at? There are three broad areas: decellularisation or tissue engineering, novel polymers and tissue preservation techniques.

Polymer valves, on the other hand, offer a different solution. The number of polymer valves that are being developed in labs as well as by companies is significant. Our polymer chemistry has got so much better, our understanding of how polymers interact with biology has got so much better. Polymers can be complex, so you can begin to mimic some of the structures. Currently, polymers are being tested in valves in animals, adding fibre reinforcement to the absorbable materials.

Many novel materials are being evaluated, but decellularised tissue offers the promise of avoiding an immune response. Novel polymers are coming and valve design will need to evolve to maximise the benefits, particularly for the mitral valve. These are exciting advances.

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04

AI in medicine and surgery: navigating the future Björn W. Schuller

Full Professor and Chair of Health Informatics, Technical University of Munich; Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Head of Group on Language, Audio & Music, Imperial College London Björn Schuller’s research combines computer science with modern health care and medicine. His focus is the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of biosignals, such as those generated in monitoring heart activity, metabolism or neuronal activities. Additionally, he researches acoustic, visual and a range of other parameters. The aim is to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment using efficient, transparent and trustworthy AI methods.

Prof. Schuller outlined how AI is already having a powerful impact in mental health care and support. Data processing is helping professionals to treat patients with a range of conditions and disorders, including dementia, autism, alcohol addiction and bipolar.

AI is being applied to listen to and track the sounds of the body to understand behaviour, including speech but also snoring and sounds emanating from organs such as the heart, lungs and bowel. Sound patterns created through

breathing can reveal much about a person’s emotional wellbeing, which can be interpreted using AI. Diagnoses can be made or supported through the recognition of emotions from deep neural networks.

AI will have a transformative impact in robotic surgery, Prof. Schuller said, leading to significant improvements in patient outcomes.

Prof Schuller also addressed challenges arising from the emergence of AI in healthcare, including concerns around data protection.

Models of federated learning are being developed, which allow recordings for the same patient from different hospitals to be shared for disease diagnosis while respecting a patient’s privacy.

Federated learning will be a building block for a greater understanding of health trends on a much larger scale, even globally, helping to create care pathways and early intervention which are more effective and sustainable.

INNOVATION SUMMIT

05

Unloading reveals a latent cardiomyocyte regeneration potential in the human heart Olaf Bergmann

Regenerative Pharmacology, Principal Investigator, University Medical Center Göttingen Dr. Bergmann presented his latest work in regenerative pharmacology regarding the potential for cardiomyocyte renewal in humans.

Cardiomyocytes are the muscle cells of the heart, responsible for the heart's ability to contract and pump blood. They are unique in that they are striated, branched and contain many mitochondria, and they are under involuntary control. These cells work together to generate the force needed to circulate blood throughout the body.

The loss of cardiomyocytes because of heart disease and injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Dr. Bergmann and his team have shown, using retrospective birth dating, that cardiomyocyte renewal in humans continues at a low level throughout life. This finding has opened the possibility of increasing cardiomyocyte renewal in heart disease by elucidating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiomyocyte proliferation.

Dr. Bergmann’s research has focused on understanding human cardiomyocyte renewal and loss during biological aging and disease,

using stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and the development of complex cell-based models.

The aim is to investigate the impact of cell type composition, cell-cell interaction, cell cycle dynamics, and maturation of cardiomyocytes on heart regeneration. This takes place using customised cell cycle indicators to dissect the transcriptional patterns required to regulate cell division and use compound libraries to identify pro-proliferative small molecules. The overall goal is to identify fundamental mechanisms of regeneration that can be translated to improve the function of the diseased human heart.

Latest evidence is that cardiomyocyte generation is minimal in end-stage heart failure patients at rates 18 to 50× lower compared with the healthy heart. However, patients receiving left ventricle support device therapy, who showed significant functional and structural cardiac improvement, had a sixfold increase in cardiomyocyte renewal relative to the healthy heart. This suggests a substantial cardiomyocyte regeneration potential in human heart disease, which could be exploited therapeutically.

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06

New muscle patches for people waiting for a transplant Ingo Kutschka

University Medical Centre, Göttingen Engineered heart muscle skin grafts offer hope to patients with heart failure, according to Prof. Ingo Kutschka. Addressing the Innovation Summit, Prof Kutschka told EACTS delegates about clinical trials that show how engineered patches of heart muscle can maintain a patient’s heart while they wait for a transplant.

More than 60 million people worldwide have heart failure, and 10% of those are in the advanced stage. Current therapeutic options are limited to heart transplantation and LVAD implantation.

Prof. Kutschka believes that this unmet clinical need can be met through the transplantation of bioartificial engineered heart muscle patches, known as BioVAT (biological ventricular assist tissue). The heart patch is made from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived hear muscle cells in a collagen hydrogel.

The engineered heart muscle patches are still in the clinical trial phase, with only 15 patients treated. But one of these patients was later given a heart transplant, allowing researchers to examine the engineered muscle graft on the patient’s original heart. They found that the patch was being fed by the patient’s blood supply, which supported the patient’s failing heart muscle. More importantly, that patient’s disease remained stable for the three months leading up to transplantation.

Prof Kutschka said that contracting myocardial tissue can now be produced from induced pluripotent stem cells in reasonable sizes, which can be transplanted to target areas of the failing heart to prevent thinning of the muscle and support contraction.

A pre-clinical study on rhesus macaques, supported by the German Primate Center, concluded that there were no safety concerns (no tumour, no arrhythmia). Implantation was technically feasible with a left anterior thoracotomy. The study showed adequate cardiomyocyte retention and maturation, and adequate vascularisation, with signs of improvement in local and global heart function.

The clinical BioVAT HF trial, which is a combined Phase I/II study, is now underway, supported by the German Centre for Heart and Circulatory Research. Part A involved patients in Göttingen and Lübeck. Part B is now taking place, involving patients at additional centres.

INNOVATION 20 REPORT 25

INNOVATION SUMMIT

How to launch a start-up

07

Joseph Bavaria

Brooke Roberts-William M. Measey Professor of Surgery and Vice-Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Dr. Joseph Bavaria, the internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and an expert in repairing and replacing cardiac valves, shared his insights and experience of start-ups to bring promising technologies to market for the benefit of patients and sustainable health systems.

Dr. Bavaria first studied engineering before pursuing a career in cardiovascular surgery.

Among his achievements in business, Dr. Bavaria was Chair of the medical board of CardiAQ, a start-up which developed a transcatheter mitral valve and was acquired by Edwards Lifesciences for more than $350 million. Last year he joined the board of PECA Labs, a start-up founded by a group of Carnegie Mellon alumni to develop cardiovascular implantable devices.

Dr. Bavaria recalled how the founders of CardiAQ, the cardiac surgeon Ashad Quadri and the bioengineer Brent Ratz, spent almost a decade on the development of their valve technology, carrying out testing, seeking regulatory approval and securing investor support. “A lot happened over eight or nine years of labour,” said Dr. Bavaria, who continues to champion innovation to improve the care of patients.

“Ideas are a dime a dozen.

Joseph Bavaria – EACTS Treasurer

His overriding message to cardiothoracic surgeons embarking on the start-up journey is that the process and ecosystem are very important.

Steps to consider begin with ideas and prototypes. Where is the early funding coming from? First drawings should go to a patent attorney, while retaining the ability to reconsider the design as the project advances. Bench and invivo testing are a prelude to Series A funding, at which point the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer must be considered.

Fostering a strong corporate culture is critical to avoid boardroom clashes, said Dr. Bavaria. Series B funding must be supported by “serious learning”, with further re-designs likely before early feasibility cases and trials.

“The process and ecosystem are very important!”

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08

Taking the start-up plunge: what you need to know

Pedro del Nido

Chairman, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, and William E. Ladd Professor of Child Surgery, Harvard Medical School It can take many years to bring a promising medical device to market. Inventors must secure investors, conduct research and development, carry out lengthy tests and apply for regulatory approval before they can even consider introducing a device into clinics and hospitals.

Many promising devices never make it to market because stakeholders consider the risks to be too high. This stifles the innovation that is needed to help health systems become sustainable, deploying the latest technology to improve patient care and contain costs. This is leading more and more cardiovascular surgeons to look at new ways to fund the development of devices, including setting up their own companies.

Pedro del Nido is one of the world’s preeminent cardiothoracic surgeons. He also has a strong track record in innovation and entrepreneurship.

He is a co-founder of a number of several medical device companies, including Cellvie, Starlight Cardiovascular and Nido Surgical.

Prof. del Nido shared his insights into what it takes to succeed at business while maintaining your own surgical practice. His presentation explained how to identify clinical need and set out the keys to creating value. The choice of partners is critical, he said. Above all, think BIG. Do not think incrementally; target a tenfold increase in performance and consider how this can be achieved.

When it comes to product development, the key message is to consult as widely as possible to understand how clinical need will evolve over five to ten years. Brainstorm with clever engineers and foster an environment of creativity. Test simple prototypes first and iterate.

Prof. del Nido encouraged entrepreneurial cardiothoracic surgeons to think beyond proof of principle and consider who will buy the device.

Business plans should be detailed but flexible.

Set development milestones that are based on value inflections. Above all, build an experienced team.

INNOVATION GRA Evaluation of mechanical support and lymphatic dysfunction in a Fontan sheep model Joeri Van Puyvelde, Piet Claus, Elizabeth Jones, Ruth Heying, Sarah Thomis, Bart Meyns University Hospitals Leuven Joeri Van Puyvelde and the team at University Hospitals Leuven gave an update on their research to address a growing need for a novel approach to Fontan failure.

In a healthy heart, the right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the body. In a Fontan circulation, the right ventricle is either absent or bypassed, and the major veins returning blood to the heart are directly connected to the pulmonary arteries. This bypasses the right ventricle's pumping function. The Fontan procedure involves surgically diverting the systemic venous return directly to the pulmonary arteries without the involvement of a right ventricle. This is achieved through various surgical techniques, including cavopulmonary connection.

About 25% of adult Fontan patients experience what is known as Fontan circulatory failure, which can occur when the working ventricle is not strong enough to pump the blood that is needed.

Currently, there are limited treatment options besides transplantation. Fontan failure can have a significant impact on quality of life and a range of cardiac and non-cardiac complications affects this growing patient population.

Dr Van Puyvelde presented his team’s latest findings around the effectiveness of IVC support, which involves using a mechanical device to

assist blood flow from the inferior vena cava to the pulmonary artery. This is known to be a viable option for managing Fontan failure, potentially improving cardiac output and reducing IVC pressure.

This support can be achieved with cavopulmonary assist devices (CPADs) or leftside blood pumps. However, the effectiveness of IVC support can vary depending on the specific hemodynamic state of the patient and the surgical configuration of the device.

The next steps in the team’s research include the development of a two-stage Fontan sheep model and an investigation into the development of progressive lymphatic changes in the Fontan circulation. They also propose to evaluate the effect of unilateral cavopulmonary support in the Fontan circulation.

“

Winning the EACTS Innovation Grant is a crucial way to start our research. The Fontan population is a relatively small but very vulnerable patient population, they are often overlooked in larger research opportunities. This gives us the chance to start work to improve clinical practice in the near future.

Joeri Van Puyvelde – Grant Recipient

NT RECIPIENTS

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT 17

Monitoring the unseen: the journey of SpectroCor’s cardiac sensor Tommi Pätilä Associate Professor, Consultant in Paediatric Heart Surgery and Organ Transplantation at HUS, Helsinki; Co-founder of SpectroCor Dr. Tommi Pätilä is the co-founder of SpectroCor, a company that has developed an optical sensor to monitor the heart’s oxygenation status during open-heart surgery.

Dr. Pätilä told the Innovation Summit how the idea for SpectroCor’s in-the-tissue spectrometry technology grew out of complications during routine surgery on a 30-year-old mother-of-two, who suffered total loss of heart function.

“Another seed was planted when I was daydreaming about why on earth iron supplementing can improve heart function,” he said. “If the myoglobin is similar to haemoglobin and acts as an oxygen storage, could anaemia be more complicated than just low blood haemoglobin? The idea of measuring the heart’s oxygen-carrying molecules grew in my mind.”

SpectroCor’s fibre-optic sensor provides realtime monitoring of myocardial oxygenation during heart repair. It is designed to support intraoperative assessment of myocardial protection. By offering continuous insight, SpectroCor aims to enhance quality control in cardiac procedures.

“

It means a lot and it’s a great honour to be acknowledged by EACTS, it’s a great validation for our project.

Tommi Pätilä – Grant Recipient

SpectroCor was created as a company to build a solution with both clinical and commercial relevance, said Dr. Pätilä. What began as a bio design grew with support in the form of a government grant and collaboration with Helsinki University, Mayo Clinic and Walter Reed. It became a reality through the contribution of engineers, mathematicians, regulatory experts and a business developer.

“We developed several iterations before we succeeded. We built IP, looked for funding and grew beyond the university. We hired regulatory knowledge and a top-notch mathematician to work on our algorithm. We went to clinics early and iterated therefrom.”

Several lessons were learned along the way, including the importance of keeping at front of mind the need for reimbursement and regulatory approval. Start-ups should harness external knowledge and expertise through outsourcing to find the right partners.

“

Your operating room frustration could be the next great company.

Tommi Pätilä – Grant Recipient

INNOVATION GRA VR-ECMO Sim: AI-enhanced virtual reality training for ECMO in cardiothoracic surgery Edris Mahtab Cardiothoracic surgeon & Associate Professor, Leiden University Medical Center Workforce issues continue to be major concern in cardiothoracic surgery, with acute skills shortages at all levels having a significant impact on the ability of health systems to deliver patient care and support.

As sector leaders seek new ways to recruit and retain experienced staff and to develop the skills base, virtually reality simulators are emerging as next-generation options in digital health to complement traditional training. VR training is largely independent of resources, location, and person-to-person contact; it integrates both teaching theory and practical application and allows unlimited repetition.

Edris Mahtab, a dedicated minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgeon, is the co-inventor of several educational Virtual Reality based simulators and planning tools, and the founding director of Leiden Amsterdam AI and XR (LAIXR) Group. In particular, Dr. Mahtab is promoting the benefits of AI-driven VR simulators to train personnel in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which is considered a last resort therapy for patients with terminal respiratory failure.

“

I would like to thank the EACTS Innovation Community. The grant offers the financial opportunity to run our project and offers recognition for our work. Our simulators will have a huge impact on training and patient care.

Edris Mahtab– Grant Recipient

A VR ECMO simulator allows healthcare professionals to practice extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedures in a safe and realistic environment. These simulators use VR technology to replicate the ECMO setup, patient conditions, and procedures, providing trainees with immersive hands-on experience without the risks associated with real-world ECMO procedures.

Dr. Mahtab and his colleagues have clear objectives for this project, which include the development of an ECMO VR simulator with various clinical scenarios, and to integrate AI to provide real-time physiological responses.

Research on the feasibility and validity of this simulator will follow, which will help to identify steps towards successful implementation.

Dissemination into clinical practice will be supported with regular training. The aim is to develop national and international research and education networks to maximise the project’s potential.

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT 19

NT RECIPIENTS A novel total artificial heart – the shuttle pump Daniel Zimpfer

Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria Prof. Zimpfer was awarded funding through the Innovation Grant Programme for the development of a novel artificial heart at MedUni Vienna's Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery.

It is hoped that this artificial heart, known as the ShuttlePump, may be used to treat patients with bilateral heart failure. Previous systems were often too large, could not be used permanently or had insufficient hemocompatibility.

The ShuttlePump offers an innovative solution: it works in a pulsating manner with only one moving piston, which operates without contact, and does not require any valves. This allows it to support both the body and lung circulation simultaneously.

Prof. Zimpfer led the project together with Marcus Granegger and Krishnaraj Narayanaswamy, also from MedUni Vienna, and in collaboration with the Charité – University Hospital Berlin and ETH Zurich. Initial tests have confirmed the feasibility of the concept.

Currently, there is an unmet need for a total artificial heart (TAH) as a solution for patients with biventricular failure, cardiac tumours, congenital heart disease or univentricular physiology.

Existing TAHs are approved as a bridge to transplant, with no durable, long-term solution for destination therapy. Available TAH systems are limited by their pumping principles.

The ShuttlePump is a valveless, pulsatile TAH designed for implementation in adult patients.

The design is simple and durable, suitable for long-term support. The motion mechanism combines rotation and translation, while electromagnetically actuated hydrodynamic bearing provides radical lift.

At the Innovation Summit Prof. Zimpfer shared his team’s experience and learnings from the ShuttlePump’s journey from analytical calculation through in-vitro testing to virtual implantation. He also set out plans which include prototype development, in-vitro evaluation and a pre-clinical study, made possible with support from EACTS’ Innovation Grant.

“

It’s a huge honour for the team and it honours the dedication that the team put into the development of this device over the last four years. The funding will create a lot of momentum and we will be able to validate everything we simulated. It’s a huge catalyst for the entire project.

Daniel Zimpfer– Grant Recipient

EACTS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

AI in cardiothoracic surgery: why data quality matters

The transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare was a central theme at the recent Innovation Summit, where multiple speakers showcased real-world applications of AI in improving clinical outcomes. Presentations illustrated how machine learning and advanced analytics are being integrated into various aspects of cardiothoracic care, from diagnostics to surgical planning and post-operative monitoring.

However, a consistent message resonated across all discussions: the power of AI is only as strong as the data that fuels it. Several critical challenges must be addressed to ensure AI tools are not only functional but also trustworthy, reliable and effective:

• Without the right data, AI algorithms cannot be properly trained.

• Without representative data, the tools developed lack reliability and risk reinforcing biases.

• If data is not usable, it represents a missed opportunity rather than a meaningful asset.

• If data volume is insufficient, insights drawn and predictions made by AI systems lack accuracy and robustness.

EACTS is actively addressing these needs through its Quality Improvement Programme. At the core of this effort are the EACTS Databases, which provide the cardiothoracic surgery community with a powerful resource for collecting, sharing, and analysing standardised data. These databases enable benchmarking, support quality assurance, and facilitate cuttingedge clinical research.

The Adult Cardiac Database is a collaborative registry of anonymized cardiac surgical data from centres across Europe. Use of this data allows surgeons to better understand clinical management and inform best practice. The European Registry of Mechanical Circulatory Support Patients is used for research and provides an opportunity to gather insights for better management of heart failure.

Both databases are built with the aim of making data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) which in future will enable innovative data use by connecting multiple data sources for large scale federated analytics.

Ultimately, the purpose of harnessing AI and data is clear: to enhance patient outcomes and improve quality of life. Ensuring that the data behind these tools is accurate, inclusive, and actionable is not just a technical requirement— it is a clinical imperative.

EACTS / INNOVATION REPORT 21

AND SO, TO COPENHAGEN! The 39th EACTS Annual Meeting will take place in Copenhagen from 8-11 October, 2025.

Innovation will be one of the themes of the year’s event, and members will have an opportunity to further discuss and develop proposals put forward in Paris earlier this year.

As in previous years, Innovation will also be the central theme of this year's Techno-College programme which will be held on the first day of the Annual Meeting.

The Techno-College is a highlight of the Annual Meeting and provides an excellent and unique opportunity for learning and engagement with the latest innovations in cardiothoracic surgery.

The event features live surgical demonstrations, interactive workshops, and specialised tracks in adult cardiac and thoracic surgery. Attendees gain early access to cutting-edge technologies and techniques, network with leading professionals and innovators, and have the chance to be inspired by the Techno-College Innovation Award. Taking place a day before the main conference, it provides an excellent platform for professional growth and collaboration.

Register here for Techno-College Click here for more information on our Annual Meeting

Register now for Techno-College to gain exclusive access to cutting-edge cardiothoracic surgical techniques, hands-on training, and networking opportunities with industry leaders