Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital turns to quantum computing to advance cardiovascular blood flow analysis

The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital is launching a research project to use quantum computing to analyze blood flow in cardiovascular patients more precisely.

The project will apply quantum algorithms to computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which requires substantial computing power on conventional computers, to develop blood flow analysis technology that can support diagnostic and therapeutic use.

Researchers will also seek to identify when quantum computing can outperform classical computing in real-world clinical settings.

Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital said Tuesday that a joint research team with the University of Seoul and Flonics has been selected for a new project under the 2026 Quantum Computing-Based Quantum Advantage Challenge Research Program, led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

The research will run for two and a half years from 2026 to 2028, with 2.5 billion won ($1.8 million) in government funding.

The team will first develop a quantum-based CFD model for patients with atrial fibrillation. Using medical images such as CT scans, the model will reconstruct the heart, left atrium and aorta and calculate blood flow velocity and pressure, as well as forces on vessel walls.