Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

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The Shockwave Medical M5+ new peripheral intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter cuts procedures times in half and was showed for the first time at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2022 meeting. It is designed to break up calcium in heavily calcified arteries to avoid the need for vessel trauma caused by high pressure angioplasty.

Intravascular lithotripsy, the technology at heart of $13B acquisition, linked to positive real-world data

The calcified plaque-shattering technology developed by Shockwave Medical continues to gain momentum. As more care teams start using IVL during PCI, researchers are paying close attention to its long-term impact on patient care.

Siemens Healthineers has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for Acuson Origin, its new cardiovascular ultrasound system featuring advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Acuson Origin represents a significant update from the prior Siemens Healthineers cardiovascular ultrasound system, the Acuson SC2000.

Siemens Healthineers gains FDA clearance for new AI-powered cardiovascular ultrasound system

The Acuson Origin system includes advanced AI algorithms designed to assist users with the treatment of diagnostic, structural heart, vascular, electrophysiological and pediatric patients. It also comes packaged with a new 4D ICE catheter capable of multiplanar reconstruction imaging with or without the use of an electrocardiogram.

An example of HeartFlow's new RoadMap Stenosis software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to show areas of interest for possible stenting based on a patient's CT scan and FFR-CT. This software is still undergoing beta testing at several hospitals and will likely be rolled out commercially later in 2023.

Cardiology still a leader in healthcare AI, trailing only radiology in FDA-cleared algorithms

At its current rate, the number of clinical AI models cleared by the FDA will break 1,000 before the end of 2024. Cardiology continues to play a significant role in this ongoing trend. 

CMR of a patient showing evidence of myocardial hypertrophy

MRI results help cardiologists predict heart failure risk

"This breakthrough suggests that heart MRI could potentially replace invasive diagnostic tests," one specialist said. 

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman FLX device from Boston Scientific is associated with positive outcomes and limited adverse events after one year, according to new findings published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.[1] Many prior Watchman FLX studies, including PINNACLE FLX, had focused on the device’s performance in a controlled setting. The study’s authors hoped to gain a better understanding of its real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S

LAAO with Watchman FLX associated with positive 1-year outcomes, real-world data confirm

Researchers hoped to gain a better understanding of the device's real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S. patients. Overall, the Watchman FLX was linked to positive data and limited adverse events one year after treatment. 

CMS may double Medicare payments for cardiac CT

The agency is gathering feedback on a proposal to double the amount hospitals are paid for coronary computed tomography angiography, with the comment period ending Sept. 9.

Dan Blumenthal, MD, MBA, chief quality officer at the Cardiovascular Associates of America, and a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, spoke at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2024 meeting business sessions on how changes in Medicare payments will impact electrophysiology and cardiology more broadly.

What cardiologists should expect as U.S. healthcare payment models evolve

Cardiologist Dan Blumenthal, MD, MBA, explains how changes in Medicare payments will greatly impact cardiology in the years ahead. In just a few short years, the business side of cardiology could look substantially different than it does today. 

Huxley Medical, an Atlanta-based medical device company, has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its new Sansa device, a chest-worn patch designed to help diagnose sleep apnea in addition to tracking patient data with electrocardiograms (ECGs) a variety of sensors.

FDA clears chest-worn patch for simultaneous ECG, sleep apnea monitoring

The new device from Huxley Medical offers care teams a way to monitor patients for signs of sleep apnea while also keeping a close eye on their heart health. 

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Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

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New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

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