Our friend David E. Winchester, MD, who is the curator of EchoJournal, has filed this report from the ACC meeting in Chicago.
Siemens had several of their newest technologies on display at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions expo in Chicago. At the top of the list were three imaging modalities to facilitate planning and workflow of transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). The first technology is the SOMATOM Flash CT for assessment of vascular access and Aortic ValveGuide software to provide 3D reconstruction of the aortic root to estimate optimal C-arm angulation prior to the procedure. This technology could potentially reduce contrast, radiation exposure, and procedure time by eliminating the need to determine the optimal angulation through repeated aortic root angiograms.
The second technology for TAVR planning is the previously announced DynaCT which can use the C-arm to create a 3D image of the aorta and overlay the reconstruction on live-2D fluoroscopy images.
Third is the addition of 3D intracardiac echo (ICE) with version 2.0 of the ACUSON SC2000 system. This system provides images similar to transthoracic and transesophageal 3D echocardiograms but permits imaging in planes not feasible with some of these other technologies. Aside from TAVR workflow, version 2.0 of the SC2000 system includes several other advances. eSie LVA is an automated left ventricular function analysis which uses data from a 3D volume of the ventricle to estimate ejection fraction. After processing time of about 90 seconds, the clinician is presented with a six panel display, three 2D reconstructions of the ventricle in standard apical and parasternal views, a 3D model of the ventricle, time volume curves for each ventricular segment, and a text display of the estimated ventricular volumes and ejection fraction.
Flashback: Syngo Dyn 360 Software for Angiographies from Siemens