FDA clears guidewire FFR measurement system for use in PCI procedures

The FDA has cleared the PressureWire X guidewire fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement system for use in patients undergoing PCI.

Physicians use the system to identify the severity of narrowings in the coronary arteries, according to a St. Jude Medical news release. St. Jude Medical, the St. Paul, Minnesota-based manufacturer of the system, said it is now available in the U.S.

The company has also launched a multicenter trial to assess FFR-guided PCI in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Approximately 20 percent of PCI procedures in the U.S. use FFR guidance.

Tim Casey,

Executive Editor

Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

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."