New AI-Based Tool Developed for Coronary Artery Analysis, Intervention Planning

RSIP Vision has developed a new medical imaging technique for coronary disease-related interventions

The company’s new coronary artery segmentation tool reduces procedural risks to patients, shortens procedure times, and increases clinicians’ ability to make quick, accurate decisions. It also provides a comprehensive 3D modeling of all vessels.

“The cardiac CT-scan contains vast amounts of data surrounding the coronary arteries, and our mission is to extract it,” said Ron Soferman, founder and CEO at RSIP Vision. “Its wide availability and excellent resolution make it a preferred imaging modality for cardiology purposes. We are pleased to introduce our new module that will aid in the detection of coronary artery stenosis and be useful in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) planning. We believe strongly this will reduce the need for additional interventions, while decreasing the chance of adverse events due to incorrect stent selection.”

RSIP Vision’s fully automated, deep learning-based technology provides a quick, robust, and accurate 3D model of coronary artery anatomy, enabling precise measurements of the artery length and diameter at any point. This tool enhances image-based assessments of coronary artery function and diagnosis of conditions, such as narrowing (stenosis). It also provides the needed understanding to physicians for advanced procedure planning, including navigation planning, stent selection, and stent positioning.  
 
This new module was designed to better visualize artery structure, measure the vessel dimensions in points-of-interest, and enable accurate, image-based FFR measurements. Additional modules can show artery modification due to stent placement or place a virtual stent in the desired position within the coronary artery. These uses replace invasive cardiac measurements and give the physician a better pre-procedure planning tool for stent selection.
 
“Proper pre-procedural planning is paramount for any invasive cardiac intervention, especially in PCI,” said Dr. David Yakobi, a board certified cardiac surgeon. “Any automated technology that eliminates human error and bias contributors has the potential to augment procedural success, increase stent patency rate in the long-run and avoid unnecessary consecutive interventions. This module from RSIP Vision will also allow us to integrate its analytical findings into the SYNTAX Score and classify the severity of patients’ combined coronary stenoses so the interventional cardiologist can predict the outcome of the procedure according to anatomical and pathological variables to guide the choice between PCI and CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery) and predict long-term survival.”
 
Consistent with RSIP Vision`s preceding, reliable solutions, this new tool is vendor-neutral and available to third-party medical device and application vendors, as well as CT manufacturers. The initial version will provide coronary arteries segmentation in contrast CT scans. Going forward, RSIP Vision plans to extend additional functionalities including calcification detection, support for pre-existing stents, and 3D reconstruction from two-dimensional angiography.