During PCI operations, tiny stents are placed in coronary arteries to keep them open and maintain blood flow towards the heart. This non-surgical procedure helps patients with coronary artery disease whose arteries have been narrowed by plaque build-up.
Now, cardiologists at NHS Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, have become the first in Scotland to perform the procedure with guidance from AI technology. The clinicians carried out planned PCIs using Ultreon 1.0 software, which combines the imaging technique Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and computer vision, gaining a comprehensive and accurate view inside arteries and helping them determine the best decisions.
The software speeds up the operation, using infrared lasers and AI to measure how much of the artery is calcified and the size of stent required. This helps ensure stents are more accurately fitted, leading to improved long-term health for patients.
Consultant interventional...