Boston Scientific launches iLab for ultrasound imaging within heart and
blood vessels
25 July 2006
Natick, Mass., USA. Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) has launched
its iLab intravascular ultrasound ultrasound imaging system in the USA.
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) allows physicians to see images inside the
heart and inside coronary and peripheral arteries to assist with diagnosis.
With IVUS, a tiny catheter is inserted into the heart or into a coronary
or peripheral vessel where high-frequency sound waves reflect off tissue or
vessel walls. The reflected sound waves create a cross-sectional image from
within the vessel or heart to aid in visualizing vessel and heart structure.
IVUS technology also provides physicians with a better understanding of
blocked vessels, which allows for proper selection and placement of stents
and other devices to restore blood flow at the site of the blockage.
The system can be directly installed into the cardiac catheterization lab
or radiology suite. Its tableside controller gives physicians control of the
device within the sterile field, and its dynamic review feature enhances
image interpretation.
"With the introduction of more sophisticated medical devices such as
drug-eluting stents, physicians are treating more complex cases than ever
before," said Paul Teirstein, M.D., of Scripps Green Hospital in LaJolla,
CA. "That makes the iLab Ultrasound Imaging System an even more important
part of my practice. Now I can obtain the images I need quickly and easily.
This lets me routinely quantitate the patient's disease, and make an
informed diagnosis."
"Boston Scientific is making it easier for physicians to use IVUS
technology every day," said Hank Kucheman, President of Boston Scientific's
Interventional Cardiology business. "Historically, a barrier to regular IVUS
usage has been the need for more user-friendliness. By installing the system
right into the lab and putting controls into their hands, physicians now
have immediate access to this important technology."
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