New Guidance Engine Software Simplifies Fusion Imaging Stent Placement Workflow

A leading healthcare equipment manufacturer has presented a novel software application package that provides automated procedure support for minimally invasive treatment of aortic aneurysms.

The software application package automates the stent placement workflow, reduces the radiation dose that a patient is exposed to, and reduces the amount of contrast media required for the precision placement of stents. In addition, intra-operative 3-D imaging allows surgeons to check the results of the procedure as soon as surgery is complete.

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) presented the Evar Guidance Engine software application package at the Charing Cross International Symposium (CX; London, UK) on April 26 to 29, 2016. The Evar Guidance Engine provides automated workflows to support the surgical process including analysis of pre-procedural Computed Tomography (CT) images, image-supported intervention, and intra-operative monitoring using 3-D imaging. The Evar Guidance Engine software can recognize aorta vessel walls, find the main branching vessels, and determine the best angle for the C-arm equipment. The software prepares the CT image for overlay with the 2-D X-Ray image, and this enables anatomical markings from the CT image to be displayed on the X-Ray image to help the surgeon position the stent precisely, and reducing the duration of surgery. The use of fusion imaging in a hybrid Operating Room (OR) also reduces the radiation and contrast media dose that the patient is exposed to, compared to other methods in use today.

Siemens Healthcare will make the Evar Guidance Engine available as part of the Pure platform on the Artis Q, Artis zeego, Artis zee, and Artis Q.zen angiography systems.

Dr. Philipp Geisbuesch, vascular surgeon, Heidelberg University Hospital, said, “The optical system is an absolute winner, since you always have all the key orientation points in view. I can always see where the renal artery is, and which angulation I need to select. Fusion imaging enables us to place the endograft with maximum accuracy and the correct angulation. All with minimum use of contrast media. Using this contrast-enhanced cone beam CT, we discovered associated endograft or other complications in seven percent of patients that we could immediately repair on the table. Now we can be sure: once we bring our patient out of the operating room, everything that could be done has been done.”

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