Philips strengthens its position in cardiac care with the acquisition of US-based SpectraWAVE, a pioneer in intravascular imaging and physiological assessment of coronary arteries using AI. The company brings technologies such as HyperVue and X1-FFR, which provide physicians with fast, detailed images and physiological data of the coronary arteries. With this acquisition, Philips is expanding its portfolio and aims to achieve better outcomes for more cardiac patients.
“We are strongly committed to image-guided therapy and are expanding our portfolio in the coronary intervention segment with the addition of SpectraWAVE's AI-driven innovations in high-detail intravascular imaging and angio-based physiological assessment, enabling us to deliver better care to more people,” said Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips.
SpectraWAVE's intravascular imaging and physiological assessment technologies offer advanced solutions for the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease. SpectraWAVE, based in Bedford, Massachusetts, was founded in 2017 and currently has more than 70 employees.
Combination with Azurion platform
In combination with Philips' Azurion platform for image-guided therapies, SpectraWAVE solutions lead to better treatment outcomes for a larger group of cardiac patients. With this acquisition, Philips further expands its existing portfolio of intravascular imaging and flow measurement devices. These include the Eagle Eye Platinum digital IVUS and OmniWire iFR technology. Together, these products form a broad and coherent suite of solutions for intravascular imaging and physiological measurements.
“Like Philips, we believe that combining intravascular imaging, coronary flow measurements, and AI can dramatically improve the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease,” said Eman Namati, CEO of SpectraWAVE. According to Namati, the collaboration will enable the integration of HyperVue and X1-FFR technologies on a larger scale within Philips' globally used platform for image-guided therapies. This will increase the options available to physicians and help provide consistently high-quality care to millions of patients who undergo coronary artery procedures each year.
Seeing from the inside
SpectraWAVE's HyperVue Imaging System is an imaging platform that allows physicians to see inside the coronary arteries during angioplasty and stenting procedures. The system combines two techniques: DeepOCT, an advanced form of optical imaging, and NIRS, a method that provides information about the composition of vascular tissue. This creates highly detailed images of both the structure and composition of the coronary arteries. The system is quick to set up and use and automatically employs AI to analyze the images.
In combination with Philips' existing imaging technologies, such as Eagle Eye Platinum digital IVUS and IntraSight, physicians gain a broader and more integrated set of tools. This enables them to make more targeted decisions for each patient and each narrowing and to monitor treatment more accurately.
Calculating narrowing
SpectraWAVE's X1-FFR is an AI-supported technology that calculates the severity of a narrowing based on a single X-ray image of the coronary arteries. No additional measuring wire is required, allowing physicians to assess more quickly and easily whether a narrowing is actually obstructing blood flow. This converts standard X-ray images into useful information about the function of the coronary arteries, making treatment more efficient.
Together with Philips' OmniWire iFR technology, X1-FFR offers physicians more options. It also enables wireless physiological measurements, which can increase the use of this type of measurement in daily practice.
