St Jude Medical launches ViewMate Z intracardiac echocardiography
system
16 Feb 2011
St Jude Medical, Inc. has launched its ViewMate Z intracardiac
ultrasound system and ViewFlex Plus intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)
catheter.
The ViewMate Z system is designed for real-time image guidance
and visualization of the cardiac anatomy. The system is able to deliver
fast, high-fidelity images that help direct diagnosis or therapy during
complex electrophysiology procedures.
The system is compatible with the new ViewFlex Plus ICE Catheter,
which offers improved one-handed control, steering angles up to 120°
and enhanced tip stability.
The system offers greater portability and optimizes vital lab space
while reducing obstructions in a clinician’s workflow. The system
was developed in partnership with ZONARE Medical Systems.
"The ViewMate Z System offers clear visualization of patient
anatomy and in turn provides the opportunity for a more effective
procedure for the patient. It also has a unique ability to quickly
produce exceptional images in a compact, cart-based system,
improving on the effectiveness and efficiency of current ICE
systems,” said Jane J. Song, president of the St. Jude Medical
Atrial Fibrillation Division. “This system is just the first of many
products we intend to launch focusing on better imaging tools that
put more control in the hands of physicians.”
ZONARE Medical System’s Zone Sonography enables the ViewMate Z System to provide premium image quality, performance and
features, as well as advanced image processing capabilities without
the limitations of current systems. Conventional ultrasound systems
acquire and process echo data line-by-line and therefore are limited
by the time required for sound propagation in the patient’s body.
Zone Sonography technology is a new approach to echo data
acquisition and image formation. It acquires ultrasound data very
quickly in a relatively small number of large zones, each of which
contain a volume of data equivalent to many lines in a conventional
system. Zone Sonography technology acquires data up to ten times
faster than conventional systems.
Ultrasound technology produces
high-resolution intracardiac images. These images help guide
cardiac surgeons in performing a variety of procedures such as
radiofrequency (RF) ablation to treat irregular heart rhythms and in
closing defects such as patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole or
opening in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart (the
atria). Clear views inside the heart also help reduce the time that
it takes physicians to perform such procedures, providing patients
an opportunity to recover more quickly and potentially enhancing
hospital productivity.
Ultrasound imaging systems work by transmitting high-frequency
sound waves through a transducer on the tip of a catheter. The sound
waves reflect off structures inside the heart and the transducer
collects and converts them back into electric energy to produce
anatomical images. This ultrasound imaging process can also help to
eliminate unnecessary fluoroscopy (X-ray) exposure to the patient
and medical staff.