USA – Siemens Healthineers has expanded its cardiology portfolio with the introduction of the Artis icono biplane, an angiography system with detectors that have been optimized in size for integrated use in the cath lab.

The system incorporates new features for diagnosing and treating cardiac arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, and structural heart disease that simplify clinical workflows while providing excellent image quality at a low radiation dose.

Artis icono biplane allows for simple positioning of the C-arm for complex cardiovascular diseases and their interventional treatment, especially when displaying images at steep angulations.

Artis icono biplane allows for simple positioning of the C-arm for complex cardiovascular diseases and interventional treatment, especially when displaying images at steep angulations.

Furthermore, images from various angles can be acquired at the same time. Siemens adds in its release that this saves time and has the potential to result in a lower contrast agent dose for patients.

Electromapping of the heart is required for the electrophysiologist to identify the source of the arrhythmia and treat it through ablation in patients with cardiac arrhythmia.

Artis icono biplane will be compatible with other manufacturers’ mapping systems, resulting in artifact-free images and the ability to reduce radiation exposure even further.

Mapping systems typically employ an electromagnetic field for navigation, which results in image artifacts on the angiography image. Images are then overlaid with stripes instead of a clear map of the heart.

Artis icono biplane will provide system measures that may be able to reduce these image artifacts while still allowing for good visualization of the devices being used, such as diagnostic catheters or ablation catheters.

In the case of coronary heart disease, Artis icono biplane’s integrated quantification feature eliminates the need for a preliminary examination with a pressure wire to determine stenosis relevance and, ultimately, whether a stent needs to be placed.

Because of a new feature called “angio-derived vFFR”2 (Fractional Flow Reserve), two images are required to provide three-dimensional visualization of the affected vessel and obtain the necessary information.

Siemens claims that this image-guided method has several advantages: Despite the fact that using a pressure wire for diagnosis is a common procedure, patients are still at risk of vascular injury.

Furthermore, the administration of medications required for the procedure can make patients feel ill, and it takes time to induce cardiac stress, which is required for the pressure wire examination.

Artis icono biplane offers the option of performing fusion imaging for interventions in patients with structural heart disease, such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA closure), or transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVi).

Angiography images can be superimposed on live ultrasound images. These fused images aid in effective communication between treating interventional cardiologists and ecocardiographers.

The Artis icono biplane can be customized to fit the needs of the individual user. As a result, the user’s existing workflows can be defined, standardised, and saved, saving valuable preparation time.

If complications arise during vascular access, for example, a single click allows you to choose between up to nine different automated system settings.

The new system has been in pilot operation at the University Hospital of Innsbruck in Innsbruck, Austria, since February 2022.

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