Live 3D Transesophageal Probe Provides Structural Cardiac Data

With a new three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) system, clinical cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, interventional cardiologists, and echocardiographers can visualize cardiac structure and function as never before. The 3D heart is displayed in motion, in real time to provide more information for diagnostic and decision-making steps and serves as an excellent communication tool.

Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) developed the Live 3D transesophageal echocardiogram (Live 3D TEE) for the iE33 echocardiography system, which provides structural heart information from real-time 3D echo images for cardiologists and the cath lab.

With the world's first Live 3D TEE probe, the way cardiac surgery and interventions in the cath lab are undertaken have been transformed. For the first time, cardiologists can see the complete mitral valve from multiple perspectives--views that are not available once surgery begins and which facilitate assessment of the valvular function. The 3D heart is displayed in motion, in real time. This fast and easy real-time 3D image display reduces the need to reconstruct pathology from multiple 2D views.

Live 3D TEE provides excellent image quality, accurately depicting cardiac structure, pathology, and function allowing cardiologists to confidently diagnose and plan treatment. Live 3D TEE provides on-the-spot evaluation, and there may be no need for further exams or tests. Because it delivers such in-depth information, the interventional cardiologist is able to rely on more information prior to intervention as well as increased visualization during guided procedures. In the operating room, anesthesiologists easily view the beating heart before the first incision, perform analysis for surgeons, and provide information for assessment. If needed, further repairs can be done immediately before completing the procedure.

Live 3D TEE was featured in the journal JACC Imaging in the first and second inaugural issues: January 2008, on percutaneous aortic valve case, and March 2008, on mitral valve repair.


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