Integrated Innova IVUS Reduces Procedure Time Up To 40%

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 23 Oct 2007 - 13:00 PST

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GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE) has announced the results of a time-motion study conducted at Providence Heart Institute in Columbia, SC. The study, spanning approximately 50 interventional coronary cases, found the Innova IVUS cuts procedure time by up to 40%. The announcement came at the start of the 2007 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics sessions in Washington, DC. The study compared total IVUS procedure time (including preparation, actual procedure, measurement and case closure) on GE Healthcare's Innova 2100IQ with Innova IVUS to that performed on another GE Healthcare Innova using Volcano's S5 standalone IVUS system. The average time saved using the integrated Innova IVUS over 50 cases was 2.5 minutes from an average total procedure time of 6 minutes.

The study focused on cases performed by Providence Heart interventional cardiologists Dr. Michael Foster and Dr. Patrick Hall. The two doctors found the time savings due to Innova IVUS came both from a reduced preparation time and reduced procedure time.

"The time savings is truly significant, particularly when a patient is on the table undergoing an invasive procedure such as stent placement," said Dr. Foster, adding, "Because Innova IVUS is so quick and easy to use, we will use it whenever and wherever needed to further quality of care during therapeutic interventions."

Integrated Innova IVUS combines GE's best-in-class Innova all-digital X-ray cath lab imaging system with Volcano's revolutionary s5i IVUS imaging system. Innova IVUS further optimizes clinical workflow beyond the benefits of s5i by offering IVUS controls positioned on the Innova Central tableside touch screen. IVUS is always on and always ready for a physician to use, when appropriate, at any point in a case. In addition, Innova IVUS allows for the seamless and automatic data exchange between the IVUS system and Innova allowing for simplified patient data transfer and advanced archiving, integrating the IVUS case into the patient's cath case.

"Stand-alone systems are cumbersome and not always readily available when needed, particularly if the patient is in the midst of an acute coronary syndrome," said Dr. Hall. "By virtue of the IVUS being always on and always available, I can use it on any patient at a moment's notice."

GE Healthcare is including IVUS cabling in all new Innova lab installations. Since the infrastructure is installed during the lab's build-out, full integration of IVUS into the interventional lab is possible, should a customer choose to purchase the Innova IVUS system from GE Healthcare.

Innova IVUS is based on Volcano's new s5i PC-based platform that reduces the size, weight and noise of the older-generation IVUS consoles. This allows the unit's placement in the control room, outside of the daily traffic pattern of the cath lab. With the integration that Innova IVUS offers, clinicians have the ability to further control the IVUS system through a variety of control devices located near the patient, from the control room, or both. Clinicians also enjoy the flexibility to view IVUS images on the monitor bank and/or on a monitor in the control room.

Innova IVUS is currently available for sale to new and existing GE Healthcare customers in the United States, Europe, certain markets in Asia and other world markets. GE continues to collaborate with Volcano to provide unparalleled cath lab design, installation and field repair/service of this system. Customers contract with one vendor, GE, for their purchasing, installation and field service needs.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform, treat and monitor disease, so patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare's broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new "early health" model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at http://www.gehealthcare.com.

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