Medtronic introduces 3-D vascular imaging service

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Device-maker Medtronic Inc. has partnered with an imaging software firm to introduce a service that provides three-dimensional images of veins, which the company says will help surgeons treat aortic aneurysms.

Medtronic says the service will help surgeons better visualize the inside of a patient’s vein before an operation and better view an implanted stent graft after the operation.

The service, called 3D Recon, converts two-dimensional computed tomography images to three-dimensional images and removes bone and anatomy from the images, according to a statement from Medtronic.

An aortic aneurysm is a weakened and bulging area in the body’s largest blood vessel, a condition that can cause life-threatening bleeding.

The service has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, thanks to a 510(k) granted to Vital Images, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based visualization software firm that partnered with Medtronic.

A Medtronic spokesman did not immediately return a call.

Earlier this week, Medtronic announced the launch of a spine-fixation system to treat scoliosis.