Health technology company Royal Philips has launched its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cardiovascular ultrasound platform.
The platform is designed to use AI technology to accelerate cardiac ultrasound analysis and lower the burden on echocardiography labs.
The applications are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) cleared and will be integrated into Philips’ EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx ultrasound systems.
According to the Amsterdam-based firm, the AI applications advance its cardiovascular imaging and diagnosis solutions. Their integration also automates measurements and speeds up workflows to boost productivity.
The applications are designed to identify disorders like coronary artery disease and cardio-oncology issues quickly.
Philips global cardiovascular ultrasound vice president and business leader David Handler said: “By harnessing the power of AI into our echocardiography solutions, we empower clinicians with enhanced diagnostic capabilities, to ultimately improve patient care and outcomes in the management of coronary and valvular disease, while enhancing overall efficiency in cardiac practice.
“For patients, this means consistent image interpretation which can lead to fewer re-scans, shorter and more effective interventional procedures, and potentially faster recovery times.”
The AI tools have been trained on anonymised patient data sets from real-life clinical environments.
Their features are intended to elevate the standards of cardiac imaging quality and reproducibility while improving the operational efficiency of operators and departments.
These include software solutions from Philips’ subsidiary DiA Imaging Analysis, which are FDA-cleared and CE-marked.
The Dutch healthcare major said that the AI functionalities will advance the interpretation of ultrasound images, enabling clinicians to analyse images easily, efficiently, and accurately in real time.
Furthermore, Philips has incorporated the advanced AI features into the recently launched mini ultrasound transducer X11 4t, which is compatible with the EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx systems.
The new transducer empowers interventional cardiologists to deliver improved care to a broader spectrum of patients, including paediatrics weighing as little as 5kg.
Philips said that it is rapidly integrating AI capabilities across its cardiovascular ultrasound portfolio via partnerships with companies like NVIDIA.
