Siemens Healthineers
The collaboration's joint solution pairs CT scanners from Siemens Healthineers, which provide excellent image quality, with the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, the first noninvasive technology to provide insight into both the extent of coronary artery disease and the impact that disease has on blood flow to the heart.
Using CT images, the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis creates a personalized 3D model of each patient's arteries; computer algorithms then simulate blood flow and assess the impact of arterial blockages. The combined clinical pathway of coronary CT angiography (cCTA) and the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis offers actionable information that helps physicians determine each patient's optimal course of treatment. Published clinical data(1) demonstrate that use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis may prevent unnecessary invasive angiograms.
Although the United States is the initial commercial focus of this collaboration agreement, the two companies plan to expand their efforts to additional geographic markets in the future.
"It is a fact that the treatment planning for coronary artery disease patients can be improved via quantitative data out of FFR measurements. With our exciting partnership between Siemens Healthineers and HeartFlow, Inc., we create an integrated solution that combines the exceptional cCTA images acquired by our high performance scanners with the only commercial product available that can derive FFR analysis noninvasively from CT data," said André Hartung, Head of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers.
"HeartFlow is pleased to collaborate with Siemens Healthineers, with its outstanding technology, tremendous expertise, and global reach," said John H. Stevens, MD, chairman and CEO of HeartFlow. "Like HeartFlow, Siemens Healthineers is deeply committed to helping clinicians improve the patient experience and clinical outcomes while also helping them to reduce the total cost of healthcare. By working together, we can ensure this technology gets to every patient who can benefit from it."
1. Douglas, P.S., DeBruyne, B., Pontone, G., Patel, MR, et al. (2016). 1-Year Outcomes of FFRCT-Guided Care in Patients with Suspected Coronary Disease: The PLATFORM Study. J Am Coll Cardiol, 68(5), 435-45.
About Siemens Healthineers
Siemens Healthineers is the separately managed healthcare business of Siemens AG enabling healthcare providers worldwide to meet their current challenges and to excel in their respective environments. A leader in medical technology, Siemens Healthineers is constantly innovating its portfolio of products and services in its core areas of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging and in laboratory diagnostics and molecular medicine. Siemens Healthineers is also actively developing its digital health services and enterprise services. To help customers succeed in today's dynamic healthcare marketplace, Siemens Healthineers is championing new business models that maximize opportunity and minimize risk for healthcare providers. In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens Healthineers generated revenue of €13.5 billion and net income of over €2.3 billion and has about 46,000 employees worldwide.
About HeartFlow, Inc.
HeartFlow, Inc. is a personalized medical technology company seeking to transform the way cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated. The company's HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is the first available non-invasive solution that enables a physician to more accurately evaluate whether a patient has significant coronary artery disease (CAD) based on both anatomy and physiology. The solution, which leverages deep learning to create a personalized 3D model of the patient's arteries, is well positioned to become an integral part of the standard of care for patients who are at risk for CAD because of its potential to improve clinical outcomes, improve the patient experience and reduce the cost of care. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is available in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.