Philips Introduces Industry-First Cath Lab Integration for CT-Guided PCI

The innovation integrates Philips’ Advanced Visualization Workspace (AVW) with its Azurion image-guided therapy platform, enabling pre-operative CT data to be directly incorporated into cath lab workflows.

Royal Philips has announced an industry-first cath lab integration that automatically synchronizes pre-operative CT images with C-arm movement, supporting workflow efficiency and enhanced anatomical visualization during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.

The innovation integrates Philips’ Advanced Visualization Workspace (AVW) with its Azurion image-guided therapy platform, enabling pre-operative CT data to be directly incorporated into cath lab workflows.

This advancement marks a key step toward CT-guided PCI, a minimally invasive procedure to open narrowed coronary arteries and restore blood flow to the heart.

The new feature, called Follow C-arm, automatically aligns 3D reconstructions of coronary arteries with real-time C-arm motion. As the C-arm angulation changes, the CT volume rotates simultaneously, allowing interventionalists to visualize anatomical structures without manual adjustments. This integration enables clinicians to combine CT-based insights with live X-ray guidance inside the cath lab, potentially improving procedural precision and efficiency.

According to Philips, the combined AVW–Azurion system offers the potential to optimize interventional workflows by reducing contrast medium use and radiation dose, as supported by published data.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is increasingly recognized in global clinical guidelines as a primary diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease. With more patients arriving for interventions with prior CT scans, clinicians are seeking efficient ways to incorporate existing imaging data into real-time procedures. The integration aims to bridge diagnostic and interventional imaging, reinforcing the role of CT in guiding PCI.

“By bringing pre-operative CT into the cath lab and linking it directly to the movement of the C-arm, Philips is delivering an industry-first that helps interventionalists prepare for and execute PCI procedures with greater confidence,” said Mark Stoffels, Business Leader, Image-Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “This seamless integration is a significant step towards CT-guided PCI, aligning with our commitment to improving workflow efficiency and advancing patient care in interventional cardiology.”

Since its launch in 2017, Philips’ Azurion platform has been deployed in more than 80 countries, treating over 6.4 million patients annually. The new integration builds on that platform’s established foundation to further enhance cardiac intervention workflows.

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