HeartVista, a pioneer in AI-enabled MRI solutions, and Siemens Healthineers, a global leader in magnetic resonance (MR), announced today that they have entered into a joint commercial agreement to co-promote an integrated offering that delivers best-in-class MRI scan sequences into an automated examination protocol. This new product offering will allow customers to combine HeartVista’s integrated sequences and Siemens Healthineers’ native sequences for their individual clinical practice.
HeartVista’s AI-guided acquisition software, which reduces cardiac MRI (CMR) scan times, simplifies workflows, and improves image consistency, previously received FDA 510(k) clearance for use with Siemens Healthineers MRI scanners. The companies have now extended the software to combine sequences from multiple sources with Access-i, a software interface from Siemens Healthineers that allows integration of third-party devices with Siemens scanners.
HeartVista’s mission is to make MRIs accessible to everyone.
Historically, US hospitals have largely underused CMRs because they are often complex to perform, tie up scanners for long periods of time, and the vast majority of clinicians are not trained to perform them. HeartVista’s one-click MRI acquisition software allows any radiology technologist to perform a CMR, ensuring patients across the country can benefit.
“HeartVista’s mission is to make MRIs available to everyone. Despite the clear benefits, the previous version of our software forced customers to choose between HeartVista’s automated sequences and the possibly more familiar manual sequences. On this basis alone, we have restricted access to the broader market in direct contradiction to our mission,” said Itamar Kandel, CEO removed the market acceptance.”
CMR is a first-line, Class I test for the diagnosis of chest pain according to American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) guidelines. The test is considered the “gold standard of cardiac diagnostics” due to its recommended use in the assessment of all major heart diseases such as ischemic, valvular, myocardial, pericardial, and aortic diseases. CMRs are also non-invasive and can be performed without exposing patients to low levels of radiation.
“HeartVista’s AI-driven acquisition software is a valuable addition to our MRI scanners and library of scan sequences,” said Peter Gall, Ph.D., Vice President, Magnetic Resonance, Portfolio, Partners & Digital at Siemens Healthineers. “With this robust, integrated offering, hospitals can easily select the scanning method that works best for them.”
