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SpectraWAVE, a Massachusetts-based imaging company focused on treatments for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), has closed a $50 million funding round. Johnson & Johnson Innovation led the round, and other participants included S3 Ventures, Lumira Ventures, SV Health Investors, Deerfield Management, NovaVenture and Heartwork Capital.

The funds, including a significant investment from Johnson & Johnson, are expected to go toward expanding access to the company's HyperVue Imaging System and exploring new features.

A demonstration of SenitAR's augmented reality (AR) technology for electrophysiology lab procedures during the Heart Rhythm Society 2024 meeting. This is one of at least six FDA-cleared clinical AR and virtual reality applications that aimed at enhancing cardiology workflow and patient outcomes. Photo by Dave Fornell

Heart teams already have access to several augmented reality and virtual reality offerings, and many more are on the way.

A heart team at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, made a bit of history, completing the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant. The procedure, which lasted roughly two and half hours, was performed on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure. One reason this patient was selected was the fact that he had specifically requested the heart team not open his chest.

The procedure, which lasted roughly two and half hours, was performed on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure. 

Nemours Children's Hospital pediatric cardiologists explain lessons learned about cardiac involvement and long-term issues from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious disease caused by exposure to the COVID-19 virus. #MIS-C #COVID #coronavirus #SARSCoV2

The rise of MIS-C during the COVID-19 pandemic alarmed physicians and patients alike, and the exact cause was unclear. Now, new NIH-funded research appears to provide some answers.

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

Philips introduced a new CT system at ECR aimed at the rapidly growing cardiac CT market, incorporating numerous AI features to optimize workflow and image quality.