GE Healthcare delivers breakthrough cardiovascular solutions at TCT.13

Today at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Conference, GE Healthcare confirmed its commitment to cardiovascular care by showcasing the latest cutting edge interventional and ultrasound technologies. 

"Cardiovascular disease is a complex disease managed at multiple levels across the healthcare continuum. As such, it requires a coordinated and integrated approach to care,” said Hooman Hakami, President & CEO of Detection & Guidance Solutions (DGS).  “At GE Healthcare, our cardiovascular solutions help ensure efficient, targeted and connected cardiovascular care.  Our cardiovascular portfolio is designed to help clinicians integrate tools and data seamlessly so that our customers can provide the best care for their patients.”

For Interventional Cardiologists: Dose Map

For more than 30 years, GE has been developing innovative solutions to help enable low-dose imaging procedures. For interventional cardiologists working on long and complex procedures there is a growing demand for having automated dose monitoring, optimization, display and traceability of their work. New at TCT from GE Healthcare is Dose Map, available on our Innova* IGS 520, 530 and 540 systems. This dose feature allows the operator to display local cumulative patient dose levels all along the examination. The expected benefit is to increase cumulated benefit dose awareness of the operator in different parts of the body.

“Dose Map is consistent with the direction of our practice as we have become more sensitive to dose and the importance of radiation protection from our patients. Dose Map is an interesting tool that allows us to improve the care we give our patients,” said Dr. Francois Funck, Interventional Cardiologist at CH Rene’ Dubos on Pontoise, France. “It could prove useful in long and difficult procedures such as attacking chronic occlusions, using anterograde or retrograde approaches, and bifurcation dilation. Bringing together two characteristics is a particular advantage. The zoomed-in cardiac area will make us aware of the local aspect of ionizing radiation, while at the same time the scale at the bottom of the screen alerts us if we have exceeded the pre-established dose, which is generally 50-percent.”  

Through its GE Blueprint initiative, GE Healthcare supports healthcare providers’ goals of a comprehensive, programmatic approach to radiation dose management. The Blueprint Benchmark can help a healthcare provider understand the strengths and opportunities within the Cardiovascular programs. 

Discovery IGS 730 for hybrid Operating Rooms and Imaging Departments

As a technology leader, GE Healthcare is showcasing its Discovery IGS 730 system for hybrid Operating Rooms (HOR).

The hybrid operating room, or hybrid OR, represents a growing trend in the healthcare industry as it allows both open surgery and catheter-based imaging therapies to take place in the same operating room. The hybrid OR enables a multi-disciplinary team (surgeons, interventionists, nurses, anesthesiologists, and technicians) to perform a new spectrum of minimally invasive therapies such as complex EVAR and TAVI with the goal of ultimately enabling better patient care.

In the field of interventional imaging, the Discovery IGS 730 is a revolutionary system designed to address the trade-off departments have historically needed to make between ceiling-and floor-mounted systems. It is neither floor- nor ceiling-mounted. Through a laser-guided, motorized mobile gantry, the system moves like a mobile C-arm with the power and image quality of a fixed system. It allows complete access to the patient and unlimited parking capability. We have also added features like a new wide bore design, which allows for steep angles, and ease in 3D acquisition. It also leverages our exceptional image chain and has over 20 of our most advanced applications on the system.

Vivid E9

At TCT 2013, GE will be showcasing the latest version of its Vivid E9 Cardiovascular Ultrasound system now featuring XDclear technology. Built from the acclaimed Vivid E9 platform, the new Vivid E9 with XDclear is designed to enhance image quality in 2D, 4D, color and Doppler, aims to shorten exam time and enhance diagnostic confidence during interventions or in the operating room.

“Precise, efficient communication between the echocardiographer and the surgeon in the operating room or the interventionalist in the cathlab is a prerequisite for smooth procedure in a crowded and stressful environment,” said Al Lojewski, General Manager of Cardiovascular Ultrasound for GE Healthcare.“ In an effort to improve this communication, our innovative Vivid E9 platform provides enhanced 4D visualization of structures, enhanced detailed anatomical insight, clear depth perception and comprehensive visual and quantitative assessment for structural heart repairs.”

For interventionalists, GE has standardized Depth Illumination to enhance communication to non-echo experts and is also offering the company’s next generation of stereo vision called PolarVision.  PolarVision can enhance communication in the cath lab and OR by combining polarized stereo with depth rendering on a dedicated 3D monitor.   With the introduction of the visualization tools Polar Vision and Depth Illumination, Vivid E9 with XDclear offers extraordinary, clear 3D depth perception of cardiac structures during image-guided device placements, as well as during other transthoracic or transesophageal procedures.