GE Healthcare announces new Innova CT application

This major enhancement to GE's Innova® 4100 and Innova 3100 cardiovascular interventional imaging systems could help change the direction of medical imaging for surgical patients, according to Laura King, Vice President and General Manager of the Global Interventional, Cardiology and Surgery business at GE Healthcare.

"GE has taken 3-D medical imaging to the next level by bringing 3-D interventional images normally acquired during CT scans into the X-ray interventional lab," said King.

"The new Innova CT technology will make 3-D anatomical imaging more available for patient use during an image guided interventional procedure."

Traditionally, interventional radiologists and surgeons have competed for access to a hospital's diagnostic CT system to help direct their instruments in real-time during an image-guided medical treatment. Few hospitals today have a fully dedicated CT suite for CT image-guided procedures, in either radiology or surgery. GE's Innova CT now provides CT-like tissue visualization on the Innova flat panel interventional X-ray systems as well as two-dimensional fluoroscopy during a single session of care, without having to move the patient from one table to another.

GE's Innova CT technology reconstructs CT-like 3-D volumes from rotational fluoroscopy acquisitions for more effective guidance within the interventional suite. These images help intervention lists in diagnosis, surgical planning, device placement, ablation and embolization in tissue. Physicians who have used the Innova CT say they are excited about this enhancement to image-guided intervention.

"This is a significant breakthrough for interventional imaging," said Dr. Francis Joffre, Professor and Chief Radiologist at the University Hospital Rangueil, Toulouse, France. "For years I have had to rely on 2-D images to navigate in three dimensions. For the first time, the Innova CT provides 3-D imaging of bone and soft tissue, bringing better accuracy when targeting lesions, guiding devices and assessing the impact of a lot of interventional procedures."

The Innova CT is a breakthrough technology because it is based on GE's patented Revolution™ flat panel detector, the largest detector on the market today. It is also the next generation of 3-D imaging, capable of providing better visualization of low contrast structures including soft tissue and bone detail.

"The Innova CT's 3-D capabilities brings increased value to the Innova family's already high level of image quality and efficiency," said King. "This is a major breakthrough for patient care in the interventional suite."