The Revolutionary Role of Imaging

COVER STORY: CARDIO TECHNOLOGIES

It is impossible to talk about advances in cardiology without touching on the role of advances in imaging. Siemens Healthcare, for example, says it is helping to bring a new rhythm to the cardiology work flow. The company has introduced the Artis Zee family of interventional imaging systems that allows users to see vessel edges more precisely, and thus ensure proper stent positioning within seconds.

In addition, the company's companion Artis Zeego features a multiaxis C-arm that uses robotic technology to extend imaging capabilities through virtually unrestricted positioning.

“We saw the need for more flexibility to optimize work flow,” says Daniel DiGiorgio, national director for cardiology solutions, customer solutions group, for Siemens Medical Solutions USA. DiGiorgio says the Artis Zeego system, which has an additional elbow on the base, is almost humanlike.

The Artis Zee is designed to deliver sharply detailed images required for interventional procedures. It enhances clarity in 2-D imaging and enables physicians to use 3-D imaging applications as well.

“The interventional cardiologist must now visualize fine vessels and small devices,” says DiGiorgio. “The system enables them to diagnose and treat with greater speed and efficiency, but also with improved work flow.”

Siemens's Syngo DynaCT Cardiac goes even further, expanding the 3-D spectrum to 4-D. By using rotational angiography and special reconstruction algorithms, the DynaCT Cardiac creates CT-like images of the beating heart right in the electrophysiology lab. During acquisition, the system can use an ECG-triggered mode to acquire only images from the same heart phase. According to the company, this feature enables the system to reconstruct 4-D images of the heart and its vessels during the procedure.

Philips Healthcare is also revolutionizing cardiac surgery and interventions in the cath lab. The company's Live 3D transesophageal echocardiogram (Live 3D TEE), which runs on its iE33 echocardiography system, is opening up new diagnostic options for cardiology. It is designed to enable clinical cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, interventional cardiologists, and echocardiographers to see cardiac structure and function more clearly than ever. According to Philips, the 3-D heart is displayed in motion, in real time, to provide more information for diagnostic and decision-making steps.

For example, cardiologists can see the complete mitral valve from multiple perspectives—views that are not available once surgery begins. These views facilitate assessment of the valvular function.

Because it delivers such in-depth information, Philips says that Live 3D TEE enables an interventional cardiologist to rely on more information prior to intervention as well as increased visualization during guided procedures.

Philips says that Live 3D TEE is the result of combining and miniaturizing two cutting-edge technologies, the 3-D capabilities of its xMATRIX technology and the image clarity of its PureWave crystal technology in a single transducer.

Such imaging technologies are providing fast, noninvasive, enhanced views of the heart, helping cardiologists better evaluate and treat patients with heart disease.