Collaboration to Develop Catheterization Lab Integration for Vessel Characterization

Philips Healthcare (Best, the Netherlands) and Infraredx, Inc. (Burlington, MA, USA), a medical device company focused on the diagnosis and management of coronary artery and other vascular diseases, have signed a joint development and collaboration agreement that involves incorporating Infraredx’s true vessel characterization (TVC) imaging system with Philips’ Allura Xper catheterization (cath) lab imaging systems.

This collaboration is intended to enable seamless access to the TVC imaging system with Philips’ Allura X-ray systems. “Philips is the premier provider of X-ray imaging technology for interventional cardiologists and we are pleased to partner with them on developing this integrated solution,” said Don Southard, president and chief executive officer of Infraredx. “Our goal is to offer physicians easier access to the TVC imaging system’s near-infrared spectroscopy and intravascular ultrasound technology for use in determining the true extent of cardiovascular disease, especially the presence of lipid core plaques [LCPs]. The imaging system is experiencing accelerated adoption in the United States and Europe. We believe this growth is the result of mounting clinical evidence around the role of LCP and continuous system enhancements.”

The collaboration will provide physicians with tableside control of the TVC imaging system from within the sterile cath lab setting using Allura’s table-mounted Xper module. The TVC composite image can be viewed on the Philips’ cath lab monitors, enabling physicians to view the chemogram and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images along with the coronary angiogram. This will allow for better visualization of LCPs in a patient’s coronary artery. The automatic sharing and integration of patient demographics and imaging study information between the Allura system and the TVC system will improve workflow efficiency and provide more rapid retrieval and review of data.

“As the global market leader in cath lab imaging technology, we strive to offer advanced clinical applications that enable interventional procedures to be performed more effectively,” said Bert van Meurs, senior vice president and general manager, interventional X-ray, Philips Healthcare. “The collaboration with Infraredx supports our commitment to continuously improve the integrated functioning of our cath labs and further enhance the user experience.”

The TVC imaging system holds the potential to transform coronary artery disease (CAD) management by providing data that is critical for evaluating vessel structure and composition, also known as true vessel characterization. The system helps interventional cardiologists identify which patients are prone to complications during stenting. The device enables cardiologists to predict periprocedural heart attacks by evaluating not only the level of stenosis, but also the presence and extent of lipid core plaques (LCP) of interest.

The TVC imaging system, in a single pullback, provides rapid and automated detection of LCPs during the cardiac catheterization procedure. The device is the only multimodality imaging system to combine both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Using IVUS technology, the system provides real time information about vessel structure. The system’s enhanced IVUS image provides a clear view of the vessel and plaque, providing more reliable vessel interpretation and assessment.

The system’s NIRS technology enables interventional cardiologists to reliably visualize the presence of LCP and predict the risk of peristenting myocardial infarction. The multimodality images are obtained simultaneously and require no postprocessing or image manipulation.

Infraredx, Inc. is a privately funded medical device company dedicated to helping provide practitioners with the information needed for enhanced clinical decision making in treating coronary artery disease. The company is focused on improving the safety and efficacy of coronary stenting and ultimately serving as part of a strategy to prevent initial coronary events.

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Philips Healthcare
Infraredx