GE Medical Systems Introduces CardEP™ For Streamlining Electrophysiology Procedures With Cardiac CT
New Software Package Extends GE’s Portfolio of Cardiovascular CT
Imaging Tools Into Electrophysiology Applications
Waukesha, Wis. and Washington, D.C. – GE Medical Systems, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today introduced CardEP™, the industry’s first Cardiac CT software application dedicated to electrophysiology (EP) applications, at the 24th Annual Scientific Sessions of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE), in Washington, D.C.
GE’s CardEP includes quantification tools to aid an electrophysiologist in viewing complex cardiac anatomy. With this software, the user can automatically segment the left atrium and display it as an interactive 3D model; quantify the size of the ostium and length of the pulmonary veins; create endoscopic views of the pulmonary vein ostium; and have the capability to export a 3D model.
According to American Heart Association’s statistics, more than two million Americans have atrial fibrillation, the most common sustained arrhythmia, and 15 percent of these patients will have a stroke. There are many common treatments for this type of arrhythmia. Drug therapy, cardio-version and pulmonary vein ablation may cure this disorder and place a patient back into normal sinus rhythm.
Two of the most complex and lengthy procedures an electrophysiologist performs are pulmonary vein ablation and biventricular pacemaker placement. Precise knowledge of the complex anatomy of the left atrium, pulmonary veins, coronary sinus and cardiac veins prior to these procedures, may accelerate the exam time and improve patient outcomes.
”Using 3D models allows me to know the complex anatomy of the atrium before beginning a procedure,” states Westby Fisher, M.D., director, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, Ill. “With CardEP, if a patient has a fifth pulmonary vein or common ostium, I discover this upfront and can plan accordingly for this complicated procedure.”
“In a busy CT department we’re always looking for ways to improve workflow and productivity, “ explained Joan Lacomis, M.D., clinical associate professor of radiology, University Pittsburgh Medical Center. At Pittsburgh, technologists were able to accurately segment the left atrium in one-fourth the time it routinely took using manual processing tools. “CardEP has demonstrated a significant reduction in processing time while producing a more consistent output to existing technology,” said Lacomis.
CardEP also offers a dedicated algorithm to enable tracking of the coronary sinus and cardiac veins. With the use of CardEP this complex anatomy can be displayed in 3D or curved planar reformation quickly and easily using the automatic tracking protocols provided.
“CardEP has been developed to help streamline post-processing capabilities which were historically performed using manual processing tools,” said DeAnn Haas, global cardiac CT marketing manager at GE Medical Systems. “Now, a cardiovascular imaging site can effectively manage workflow – delivering a quick turnaround time from acquisition to report; allowing patients to be scanned, processed and in the EP lab for their procedure -- all within a day.”
GE offers a suite of dedicated Cardiovascular applications for its LightSpeed® multi-slice and e-Speed™ electron beam tomography™ CT systems. CardEP joins the GE portfolio as it’s first electrophysiology application. Other GE Cardiovascular packages include: CardIQ Analysis II, CardIQ Function and SmartScore.
About GE Medical Systems
GE Medical Systems is a $9 billion global leader in medical imaging, interventional procedures, healthcare services, and information technology. Its offerings include networking and productivity tools, clinical information systems, patient monitoring systems, surgery and vascular imaging, conventional and digital X-ray, computed tomography, electron beam tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound and bone mineral densitometry, positron emission tomography, nuclear medicine, and a comprehensive portfolio of clinical and business services. For more than 100 years, health care providers worldwide have relied on GE Medical Systems for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. For more information, visit the GE Medical Systems Web site at www.gemedical.com
By using our site or downloading materials from the site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Click above to review those policies. If you do not agree, do not use the site or download any materials from it.
