“Our goal was to pioneer a solution that eliminates the historical trade-offs our customers have had to make when selecting interventional imaging systems” says Hooman Hakami, President and CEO, Detection & Guidance Solutions, GE Healthcare. “What we were able to do was something truly revolutionary. Because of Discovery, interventional cardiologists no longer have to trade-off between ceiling and floor-mounted systems and compromise patient access for room airflow and sterility.
Also gone are the days where surgeons had to choose between the higher power & better image quality of a fixed unit, or the mobility of a C-arm. With Discovery, our customers no longer have to compromise.”
“We also have had a very strong start and couldn’t be more pleased with our customers’ response to Discovery’s capabilities. We have six global orders to date, and over 100 inquiries for new Discovery systems. With both FDA clearance and CE marking, we now look forward to reaching all those who need the latest in minimally invasive, and hybrid OR imaging.”
The Discovery is neither floor nor ceiling-mounted, but has the mobility of a C-arm with the power and image quality of a fixed system. It incorporates a breakthrough innovation using a motorized laser-guided (mobile) gantry with wide bore C-arm, which enables interventional cardiologists to perform complex, minimally invasive procedures in an OR environment, as it allows complete access to the patient from either side of the table while maintaining sterility. The motion is predictable and precise, allowing fine control and positioning at any moment during a procedure, while parking locations and back out distances can be customized to suit the room where it operates.
Prof. Burkhard Sievers, interventional cardiologist at Heinrich Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany, comments: “Hybrid OR will be the future setting for all cardiac procedures. The Discovery IGS 730 system means that cardiologists can acquire the high quality imaging required to enable their current procedure mix, but also in the same room are able to perform more complex procedures, knowing that they can have easy access to the patient, in a sterile environment.”
The Discovery IGS 730 is the centerpiece of GE’s Hybrid OR demonstration at ESC Congress 2012. For the first time, attending interventional cardiologists will be able to see a fully functioning Hybrid OR, where cardio-vascular specific advanced applications work in tandem with the newly CE marked Discovery IGS 730.
Recently introduced products on display include:
- GE Healthcare’s Vivid E9* Breakthrough 2012 (‘BT12’) cardiovascular ultrasound system which uses a 4D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) transducer, allows clinicians to view precise images of the heart either during an assessment or diagnosis in the echo lab, during image-guided procedures in the cath lab, or supporting invasive surgical procedures in the operating room. In each scenario, the system is designed to help improve workflow efficiency through simplified image acquisition, intuitive navigation and quantification of ventricular pump function and myocardial deformation.
- Centricity* Cardio Enterprise is GE Healthcare’s latest IT solution which allows cardiologists to easily and securely access a patient’s complete cardiovascular record, enabling faster and more informed clinical decision making, wherever an internet connection is available. “Whether a cardiologist is in the lab, on the floor, in the OR, in their office across town, or at home over the weekend – patient data and diagnostic-quality images are available at their fingertips when they need it”, explains Olivier Croly, EMEA General Manager Healthcare IT at GE Healthcare. “Less time spent manually reporting or entering data on a cardiovascular IT solution means more time spent on patient care.”
- The Aisys Carestation is GE Healthcare’s most advanced anesthesia management system, which performs routine and critical perioperative tasks in anesthesia delivery for a wide range of cardiovascular patients. Applications of the Carestation include specific ventilation modes for cardio pulmonary by-pass for perioperative management of cardiovascular patients.
With the increasing complexity and integration of minimally invasive procedures into cardiac surgery, the Hybrid OR is an important part of any cardiac service line where cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists and echocardiologists cooperate in order to achieve an optimal result for the patient.
“GE Healthcare is in continuous pursuit of excellence by bringing together new innovations in the Hybrid OR space that help to treat patients with complex cardio-vascular conditions through minimally invasive procedures” says Hooman Hakami for GE Healthcare. At the ESC Congress 2012, interventional cardiologists can see how our comprehensive solutions can help healthcare providers facilitate collaboration amongst clinical specialisms and help physicians to deliver better clinical and patient centric outcomes.”
