Devices & Diagnostics, Hospitals

3-D St. Jude Medical launches technology that gives docs real-time, 360-degree view of arteries

St. Jude Medical  (STJ) announced FDA approval of its  ILUMIEN  OPTIS  PCI Optimization  System, and […]

St. Jude Medical  (STJ) announced FDA approval of its  ILUMIEN  OPTIS  PCI Optimization  System, and the product’s U.S. launch. The device gives physicians a real-time, 360-degree panoramic view of the arteries, to help with stent placement and to guide treatment for patients with coronary artery disease.

But what’s the true value proposition between this new iteration and the last? Perhaps potential for reduced hospital readmissions. In the company’s FAME 2 study, “hospital readmission because of an urgent revascularization (was) reduced by 86 percent” when the company’s PressureWire technology was used, according to a company statement.

As the next-generation of the ILUMIEN System, St. Jude claims the device has several “first-of-its-kind” features, including automated measurements and stent planning software tools. The new generation also produces images at twice the resolution as the older model.

St. Jude says it’s the only medical device company with all these tools available in an integrated platform.

“It works by integrating both Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) technology to measure blood flow blockage inside the coronary arteries and intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging technology,” according to a press release. These measurements allow physicians to tell the difference between plaque build-up, decide if it’s causing restricted blood-flow and then, if necessary, help place the stent.

More from the release:

The OCT technology in the new ILUMIEN OPTIS system uses the  Dragonfly Duo Imaging Catheter  to capture near-infrared light images and measures important vessel characteristics otherwise invisible or difficult to assess with older imaging technology. The catheter offers faster, longer pull-backs, which allows the physician to assess more of the patient’s artery in less time.

The wireless  PressureWire Aeris  technology that is integrated into the platform measures pressure differences in blood flow within the coronary arteries leading to the heart, and determines the severity of any narrowings or blockages. Knowing which specific blockages are causing the patient’s blood flow to be ineffective helps guide the interventional cardiologist to determine which lesions warrant stenting, resulting in improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs.

The company will display the device for the first time next week at the  2013 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in San Francisco.

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