GE Healthcare and HeartFlow Announce Global Cardiovascular Collaboration
Alliance of GE and HeartFlow technologies could transform
care of patients with coronary artery disease
SCCT2017, the annual scientific meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed
Tomography, that they have entered into a global collaboration agreement with the goal of
increasing the clinical availability and adoption of HeartFlow FFRct, a proprietary technology
that helps clinicians diagnose and treat patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).
The collaboration will involve computed tomography (CT) scanners from GE Healthcare with
HeartFlow® FFRct, the first and only non-invasive technology that provides insight into both the
extent of CAD and the impact of the disease on blood flow to the heart. HeartFlow FFRct is
designed to enable clinicians to select a definitive, personalized treatment plan for each patient
and reduce the need for additional invasive testing. The agreement will initially focus on the
United States, with plans to expand into other markets in the future.
CAD, which affects 16.8 million people in the United States,i develops when the coronary
arteries narrow, reducing blood flow to the heart and causing angina (chest pain), myocardial
infarction (heart attack) and death.
“GE has collaborated with HeartFlow over the last five years, and this agreement reinforces our
joint commitment to patients worldwide,” said Scott Schubert, general manager, Global
Premium CT, GE Healthcare. “Along with our industry-leading cardiac CT systems and clinical
applications, GE can now offer HeartFlow FFRct as an option for healthcare providers who
strive to deliver the highest standards in clinical care while reducing costs.”
“This agreement with GE will help bring our game-changing non-invasive technology into the
mainstream of cardiac care at thousands of hospitals that are already using state-of-the-art CT
systems from GE, which provide exceptional image quality,” said John H. Stevens, M.D.,
president and chief executive officer of HeartFlow. “By collaborating, we can ensure that
HeartFlow FFRct can be easily integrated into existing CAD protocols and more readily
transform the care of patients with suspected and potentially life-threatening CAD.”
Diagnosing CAD Definitively and Non-Invasively with GE and HeartFlow
Clinicians diagnosing a patient with suspected CAD want to know as definitively as possible if
the patient has a significant blockage in their coronary arteries and the impact of that blockage
on blood flow to best determine which treatment pathway is appropriate (e.g., medical
management, stenting or coronary artery bypass graft).
With HeartFlow FFRct, data from a patient’s non-invasive coronary CT angiogram are securely
uploaded from the hospital’s system to the cloud. Then, HeartFlow leverages deep learning to
create a personalized, digital 3D model of the patient’s coronary arteries and uses powerful
computer algorithms to solve millions of complex equations to simulate blood flow in the model
and assess the impact of blockages on coronary blood flow. The results are provided to the
patient’s clinician via a secure web interface to offer actionable information on the optimal
course of treatment.
GE brings to the collaboration its leading portfolio of cardiac CT solutions, including:
• The Revolution™ family of CT scanners, with innovations including One-Beat Cardiac,
SnapShot Freeze intelligent motion correction, and High Definition (HD) imaging with the
industry’s highest cardiac spatial resolution;
• CardioGraphe™, the world’s first dedicated cardiovascular CT system, a whole-heart
coverage CT system that is affordable and accessible; and
• AW advanced clinical applications including CardIQ, VesselIQ and TAVI planning to
enhance physician diagnostic accuracy and productivity.
Together, the combination of GE and HeartFlow technologies promises to become an important
way to assist in diagnosing CAD and guiding appropriate treatment. This combination also could
help reduce unnecessary and invasive diagnostic coronary angiography procedures, which can
be associated with serious complications, such as bleeding, stroke and major blood vessel
damage.ii
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the
demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the
world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on
tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to
drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement
solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.
About HeartFlow, Inc.
HeartFlow, Inc. is transforming the way cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated. The
company’s HeartFlow FFRct 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. HeartFlow FFRct, 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 both clinical outcomes and the patient experience while reducing the cost of care.
HeartFlow FFRct is commercially available in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.
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Media Contacts:
GE Healthcare
Maria Vandenberg
414-303-9425
HeartFlow, Inc.
Chris B. Ernst
16000781 v1
415-710-9445
ii Douglas PS, DeBruyne B, Pontone G., Patel MR, et al. One-year outcomes of FFRCT-guided care in patients with
suspected coronary disease: The PLATFORM Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;68(5),435-45.
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