Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/290262
LIVE DIGITAL HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGING ALLOWS PHYSICIANS TO EXAMINE AND INTERACT WITH A PATIENT'S REPLICATED HEART DURING SURGERY. R EALVIEW IMAGING'S LATEST innovative visualization technology is taking X-rays and ultrasounds to a whole new dimension. Working in conjunction with Philips Healthcare and Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petach Tikva, Israel, RealView Imaging Ltd. participated in a pilot study that demonstrated the use of leading-edge medical imaging applications in structural heart repairs. Results from the clinical study involving eight patients were presented at the 25th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular T her a p eut ic s s c ient i f ic s y mp o siu m , s p on s ore d b y t he Cardiovascular Research Foundation. Elchanan Bruckheimer, MBBS, pediatric cardiologist and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at Schneider Children's Medical Center, presented the fi ndings. An Eye on the Future The study confi rmed the viability of presenting 3-D volumetric data using a holographic display and interface system to help visually guide surgeons during minimally invasive structural heart procedures. Thanks to RealView Imaging's breakthrough, interventional teams working in catheterization laboratories and operating rooms will soon be able to view a live, "ultra-realistic" holographic projection of the patient's heart in full color without the aid of special eyewear. Using a 3-D image created from previously acquired data, a model of the patient's heart appears to be fl oating in air, providing spatial insights with and within the fl oating volumes of the heart's soft tissue anatomy from countless angles. Einat Birk, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist and Director of the Institute of Pediatric Cardiology at Schneider Children's Medical Center who participated in the research study. She notes in a video clip on realviewimaging.com that the opportunity to physically manipulate, move, rotate and mark the high-resolution holograms "in air" using RealView Imaging's image intimacy helps her better visualize the actual structure of a patient's heart and then com- municate her fi ndings more clearly with the surgical team involved. According to RealView Imaging's website, the company is developing several product configurations using the same technology platform that can eventually be applied to different medical treatments. Aviad Kaufman, CEO of RealView Imaging Ltd., was quoted in a press release from the company as stating, "With the advancement of live 3-D imaging and increasing clinical evidence of its value for a variety of procedures, we are convinced that our holographic tech- nology will further enhance 3-D imaging and, most importantly, improve patient care." For more information about 3-D volumetric medical imaging acquisi- tion modalities and 3-D holographic systems, visit realviewimaging.com. ■ New 3-D Medical Holography Study Brings Anatomy to Life By Laura Ward CORE ++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ + +++ ++++++++++++++++++++ TECHNOLOGY