Visualization Application Receives FDA Nod
GE Healthcare yesterday announced that its AngioViz imaging application has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The application, which yields its information from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) affords physicians visualization of vascular flow on a single image, in turn assisting them in formulating decisions during complex interventional radiology procedures.
Such visualization is rendered possible via parametric imaging, wherein AngioViz looks at each pixel in the image series and determines both the peak value of opacification caused by the contrast, and the time it takes for that pixel to reach peak opacification. These two parameters can be displayed as separate images or combined into a single color-coded image that represents the parameters of vascular flow. Parametric images from different DSA acquisitions, such as pre- and post-treatment images, can be easily compared, helping physicians to understand the impact of various interventional treatments on flow dynamics.
AngioViz bold flow visualization has the potential to be applied to a variety of clinical situations, according to the company. These situations encompass helping to see where a blocked artery diminishes blood flow in the brain or other tissue ;
·identifying the timing and amount of blood flow in abnormal vessel anatomy; observing flow in abnormal tissue before and after treatment to support interventional oncology treatment; and visualizing peripheral artery blood flow before and after balloon angioplasty and stenting