Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

Fatal accident calls MRI safety standards into question—are more regulations needed?

There are a number of well-intended recommendations for preventing MRI injuries, but many of them stop short of implementing safety requirements.

February 24, 2023
Ed Nicol, MD, consultant cardiologist and honorary senior clinical lecturer with Kings College London and president-elect of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), explained artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiac CT is here to stay and its use is expanding. He noted that one AI-based algorithm is already included in recent cardiology guidelines and more will likely follow. #SCCT

Cardiac imagers need to understand AI as it enters clinical use and ACC guidelines

Most FDA-cleared AI algorithms are related to radiology and cardiology, meaning radiologists and cardiologists need to make an effort to learn how these technologies work.

February 15, 2023
GE healthcare has purchased Caption Health. This added cardiac ultrasound AI guidenance to GE's echocardiogram systems so even inexperienced sonographers and point of care ultrasound (POCUS) users will be able to obtain high-quality echo exams.

GE Healthcare to acquire AI imaging specialists Caption Health

Caption Health has been a major player in the cardiac imaging space in recent years, gaining attention for its AI-powered echocardiography solutions. 

February 10, 2023
An example of an FDA cleared radiology AI algorithm to automatically take a cardiac CT scan and identify, contour and quantify soft plaque in the coronary arteries. The Cleerly software then generates an automated report with images, measurements and a risk assessment for the patient. This type of quantification is too time consuming and complex for human readers to bother with, but AI assisted reports like this may become a new normal over the next decade. Example from Cleerly Imaging at SCCT 2022.

Legal considerations for artificial intelligence in radiology and cardiology

There are now more than 520 FDA-cleared AI algorithms and the majority are for radiology and cardiology, raising the question of who is liable if the AI gets something wrong.

February 3, 2023
Example of a cardiovascular information system (CVIS) cath lab reporting module with a coronary tree model that will auto complete sections of the report based on how the cardiologist modifies the model. Image from the ScImage booth at ACC 2022. Photo by Dave Fornell

VIDEO: 4 key trends in cardiovascular information systems, according to Signify Reseach

Signify Research shares the latest big trends in cardiovascular IT systems, including the role of EMR cardiology modules vs. third-party CVIS, structured reporting, integration into enterprise imaging and inclusion of ambulatory surgical centers. 

February 1, 2023

6 pointers on POCUS leadership in the ED (and potentially beyond)

Has point-of-care ultrasound outpaced hospitals’ capacity to incorporate the technology without anointing any particular specialty its proper guardian? The case could be made.

January 28, 2023
Jakob Weiss, MD, a radiologist affiliated with the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and the AI in Medicine program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, helped develop an deep learning AI algorithm that can assess a patient's biological age and risk assess patients for various diseases. #RSNA #AI #ImagingAI

VIDEO: AI predicts heart disease risk using single chest X-ray

Jakob Weiss, MD, was the lead author on a study that used AI to determine a patient's cardiovascular risks based on a standard chest X-ray.

January 12, 2023
The Shimadzu Trinias SCORE Opera Angiography system at RSNA 2022. It offers dose lowering technologies and workflow efficiencies. #RSNA #RSNA22

VIDEO: Shimadzu lowers dose and speeds workflow with new Trinias SCORE Opera angiography system

Sponsored by Shimadzu

Shimadzu Medical Systems USA released the latest version of its Trinias angiography system at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2022 meeting to address radiation concerns and to help improve workflow.
 

January 6, 2023

Around the web

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

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