I really enjoyed this article. As a PhD engineer who has worked all of my career with high end computing/imaging and about 1/3 with medical applications, I know enough to appreciate it. Amazing!
On a side note... DW has had heart valve issues for many years. At first it was if you need surgery, then when, then it was NOW! Open heart surgery was just under 3 years ago.
In simple terms the valve leaked, but it was multiple locations involving both flaps. In the couple of years before surgery when we knew it was a when (not if), her cardiologist asked if we could afford to travel to Cleveland Clinic (one specific doc) or NY for another doc who were the top guys for repair. We live in a medium size city and he said everybody in town would just replace without attempting repair.
Then when surgery time came, he said there was a young new heart surgeon in town who was one of the top guys in the country (had married a local girl) and they had recruited him to move here. Recommended him.
She had a TEE (Transesophageal echocardiography) and then we visit with the surgeon prior to surgery. Great guy, good bedside manner, put her at ease. Part of the meeting involved him showing us the video of her valve through a heart cycle, with color contours depicting the leaks. You could see the multiple leaks, and discern the involvement of the two flaps! I found it absolutely fascinating, and the surgeon was getting excited as he pointed out where he would work and what a challenge it would be, but that he was up to the task. After that visit, the one thing DW didn't like was looking at the screen, knowing that was her (and the problem).
Surgery was successful, and today that repaired valve is still working great, even as other heart issues are evolving. While the success of the surgery was obviously due to the surgeon, I have no doubt that his understanding of the details of the problems in the valve that the imaging provided contributed to his success.