A closer look at GE HealthCare's new affordable cardiac CT scanner
To meet the surging demand for cardiac computed tomography (CT) imaging, GE Healthcare launched its newest scanner, the Revolution Vibe, at ACC.25, the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Performing the detailed imaging required for coronary CT angiography (CCTA) takes a high-end performance, so CCTA's use has been limited to more expensive scanners. Revolution Vibe, however, was created as a more economical scanner that can be used at outpatient centers as well as larger hospitals.
"We were seeing higher demand, and the higher reimbursement is driving more and more of these procedures from an economics perspective into the outpatient environment. So we needed to come up with a scanner that allowed you to do really high-end cardiac work in an outpatient environment ... but with the capability that you see at the flagship hospital," Ty Bode, senior director of strategy at GE HealthCare, explained during a video interview at ACC.25.
Demand for cardiac CT was already rising before 2020, but it surged after the publication of the 2021 ACC/AHA chest pain evaluation guidelines, which raised CT to a class 1A indication. This was followed by new reimbursements, most notable a doubling of Medicare payments for outpatient scans that started in January 2025.
These moves prompted many imaging departments that were previously on the fence about creating or expanding cardiac CT programs to move forward with their plans. This has led a number of imaging vendors to release new CT systems in recent years.
Bode explained that Revolution Vibe can do an axial 16 centimeter scan with a 0.23 second rotation speed, which he said is the fastest rotation speed on the market. It is able to capture the whole heart and take advantage of that one-beat cardiac capability for all other scanning in the body.
"You end up scanning with 4 centimeters of collation, or 128 slices, and that allows you to do basic runoffs, any sort of abdomen work, neuro work, and you get really high-end cardiac work," he said.
Flagship features and streamlined AI CCTA workflow
Revolution Vibe inherits several hallmark features of GE HealthCare's top-tier CT systems. With its 16 cm of anatomical coverage and fast rotation speed to freeze cardiac motion, it can acquire the entire heart in a single heart beat. The company's One-beat imaging technology also enables consistent, high-quality scans regardless of patient variability, helping technologists simplify workflows and reduce the learning curve.
Bode emphasized that many hospitals, especially smaller facilities, lack the advanced scanners or trained technologists needed for cardiac CT. Revolution Vibe is aimed squarely at this secondary market. Increasing staffing shortages of technologists, especially in rural areas, was also considered when building technology for this CT system to enhance workflow.
"We also have our latest in AI-based workflows built into the system," he explained. "The goal is to be consistent across various technologists without creating more work for the human. We want to augment what all the humans are already doing within the workflow and make it easier for techs, rads, cardiologists across the board."
This includes machine learning to select the proper protocols for each patient based on their prescription, ways to automatically select the scan range, to automatically make adjustments to scan parameters for the technologist to confirm, to optimize the image quality of each patient, and in automating some post-processing. Some automated throughput and outputs are also sent to the actual reading space.
The scanner also has technology to help overcome imaging issues in patients with high or irregular heart rates. Traditionally, technologists relied on beta blockers to slow heart rate, but GE HealthCare's approach combines hardware and software innovations to reduce reliance on medication. This includes auto-gating to dynamically adjust acquisition timing based on patient rhythm.
Snapshot Freeze 2 software corrects motion not only in coronary arteries, but also throughout the structure of the heart. High-definition imaging modes help enhance visualization of plaques and the lumen in highly calcified vessels and stents.
Positioned for the future of cardiac CT screening
With growing clinical interest in using coronary CTA for risk prediction and preventive care, GE HealthCare expects continued expansion of its use beyond acute chest pain.
"We've already seen multiple health systems use coronary CTA in emergency room environments as a way to help manage chest pain patients coming in and triage them more effectively for who goes to the cath lab and to better manage inpatient admissions," Bode explained.
CCTA experts have predicted that noninvasive fractional flow reserve CT (FFR-CT) and AI-based coronary soft plaque assessments will become key tools to triage chest pain patients and to perform preventive screenings. Several vendors now have FDA clearance for these AI-based CT analysis technologies, but they require high-quality CCTA imaging to work. Bode said this scanner can deliver the quality needed for those technologies as they gain wider adoption in the future.
Read more about the new Revolution Vibe
Read more about trends in CCTA and how GE's technology is addressing the challenges
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]