Philips Acquires SpectraWAVE to Expand AI-Driven Coronary Imaging and Physiology Portfolio

Philips seeks to combine SpectraWAVE’s advanced tools including DeepOCT with its Eagle Eye Platinum and IntraSight tech for intravascular ultrasound including its flagship Azurion image-guided intervention platform.

Global healthtech company Philips has entered into an agreement to acquire SpectraWAVE, a U.S. based developer of AI-powered coronary imaging and physiological assessment technologies.

The agreement is part of its expansion initiative aimed at strengthening its image-guided therapy (IGT) and cardiovascular care.

Speaking on the new partnership, Roy Jakobs, Philips CEO, said, “We are doubling down on image-guided therapy and expanding our portfolio in the coronary intervention segment with the addition of SpectraWAVE’s AI-powered innovations in high-definition intravascular imaging and angio-based physiological assessment, enabling us to deliver better care for more people.”

SpectraWAVE’s core technologies include the HyperVue Imaging System, which combines advanced Deep Optical Coherence Tomography (DeepOCT) with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and is designed to produce high-definition intravascular images of coronary artery structure and composition.

The X1 FFR platform is an AI-enabled, wire-free angiography-derived Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) solution that is designed to assess blood flow and ischemia from routine angiograms.

Under the agreement, Philips seeks to combine SpectraWAVE’s advanced tools, including DeepOCT (optical coherence tomography), with its Eagle Eye Platinum and IntraSight tech for intravascular ultrasound, as well as its flagship Azurion image-guided intervention platform, which is expected to strengthen its cardiac catheterization lab capabilities.

Further, the X1-FFR platform will complement its OmniWire iFR hardware for measuring coronary blood pressure by adding a tool that seeks to guide in cases where guidewires cannot be advanced or are unsuitable for use.

This integration is expected to enable clinicians to decide, guide, treat, and perform timely interventions under a single clinical setting.

Reflecting his thoughts on the acquisition, SpectaWAVE CEO Eman Namati said, “Philips shares our deep conviction that the convergence of intravascular imaging, coronary physiology, and AI can fundamentally improve how every patient with coronary disease is treated. This partnership allows us to integrate and scale HyperVue and X1-FFR into the world’s leading image-guided therapy ecosystem, expanding choice for clinicians and supporting more consistent, high-quality care for the millions of patients who depend on coronary intervention each year.”

Recently, the company had also received its FDA approval for its HyperVue and X1-FFR technology.

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