The Heart Rhythm Disease Institute (French: L'Institut des maladies du RYthme Cardiaque), is one of 6 French university hospital institutions created in 2011 as part of the investments in the future program ("Investissements d'avenir") to boost medical research and innovation. This institute, created by Professor Michel Haissaguerre along with cardiology teams of the University Hospital of Bordeaux, unites multiple specialties around cardiac electrophysiology from research on ionic channels (microgenerators producing electric flows in cells) to whole heart and patient care. LIRYC is a basic research, clinical and teaching centre focusing on the understanding, care and treatment of cardiac electrical diseases that lead to heart failure and sudden death. It includes national and international doctors and researchers in cardiology, imaging and signal processing and modeling, who have overlapping interests and skills in cardiac bio-electricity. Partners include academic teams from research institutions such as INSERM, CNRS, INRIA, the University of Bordeaux, and the University Hospital of Bordeaux, as well as health care industry partners. Research teams currently work at the Technological Platform for Biomedical Innovation (French: Plateforme Technologique d’Innovation Biomédicale - PTIB)", which is located at the Xavier Arnozan Hospital in Pessac, near Bordeaux. By 2015, a 6,000 square meters extension of the existing PTIB building will be built. It will house a platform for medical research and innovation, combining facilities and competencies in electrophysiology (optical mapping), interventional cardiology, cardiac imaging (high resolution MRI 9.4 Tesla), modeling and signal processing. It will also provide a training centre for students, engineers and researchers in collaboration with the main health care companies.