VesselNavigator has been designed for use in conjunction with Philips’ interventional X-ray systems to guide catheters during treatment of vascular disease. The new system allows for a major reduction of contrast medium (70%) demonstrated in clinical study, enabling minimally invasive treatment of aortic aneurysms in a number of patients who are currently unable to benefit from minimally-invasive techniques.
Royal Philips announced the launch of VesselNavigator, its latest innovation in live 3D catheter navigation to guide the minimally invasive treatment of patients with vascular diseases such as aortic aneurysms, during the annual Charing Cross International Symposium (28 April – 1 May, London, UK).
This new catheter navigation solution, designed for use in conjunction with Philips’ interventional X-ray systems, enhances the precision and accuracy of stent placement, while at the same time significantly reducing contrast medium usage. As a result, minimally invasive treatment options will be available to patients previously unable to benefit from new image-guided intervention techniques, a press release from the company says.
Developed in collaboration with clinical partners such as the University Hospital Cologne (Germany) and the University Hospital Ghent (Belgium), VesselNavigator complements Philips’ current image-guided therapy portfolio within the field of endovascular and hybrid suite solutions. It addresses the need for advanced 3D live-image guidance solutions, as the treatment for vascular disease is experiencing a major transition from open surgery to minimally invasive procedures, with such procedure volumes growing at high single-digit rates.
VesselNavigator can be used for all types of endovascular procedures, but one of its key applications is guidance during the treatment of aortic aneurysms, which if left untreated could lead to severe complications such as massive internal bleeding.
VesselNavigator fuses live interventional X-ray images with pre-acquired 3D MRI or CT images of the patient’s vascular structures. The resulting 3D colour-coded images of the vessels provide enhanced real-time visual guidance, making it easier to manoeuvre through the vascular network without the need to enhance the X-ray visualisation with the repeated use of an injected contrast medium. In recent studies, VesselNavigator has been shown to reduce contrast medium usage by 70% and procedure times by 18%, contributing to more patient friendly, more efficient and more cost-effective treatment of vascular conditions.
VesselNavigator joins Philips’ extensive portfolio of live, 3D image-guided navigation solutions for image-guided minimally invasive therapies. This portfolio includes EmboGuide to support tumour embolization in cancer treatment.
