St Jude Medical, McKesson To Increase FFR Technology Access To Hospitals

Published: 25-Feb-2010

St Jude Medical has reported that its wireless PressureWire Aeris system, which aids in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery blockages by measuring Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR), will be available to hospitals using the McKesson Horizon Cardiology Hemo system.

Through the new agreement with McKesson, physicians will have access to the wireless FFR measurement system. FFR measurement indicates the severity of blood flow blockages in the coronary arteries, allowing physicians to better identify which specific lesion or lesions are responsible for a patient’s ischemia.

The McKesson Horizon Cardiology Hemo system was designed to improve the overall workflow of the entire catheterization suite. A single interface in the Horizon Cardiology Hemo system combines both the FFR measurement controls and clinical documentation including lesion, stage and medication.

St Jude Medical's PressureWire Aeris is a wireless FFR measurement system which requires no additional equipment or cabling in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The elimination of additional equipment and cabling has the potential to simplify set-up and increase procedural efficiencies.

The PressureWire Aeris technology will help physicians determine the best treatment option for their patients during coronary interventions, such as stent procedures.

The PressureWire Aeris wireless technology works by integrating physiological lesion assessment directly into the hemodynamic recording system already available in the cath lab to immediately display, measure and save FFR data. This integration is an optional module for hospitals using McKesson’s Horizon Cardiology Hemo system version 12.1.

Frank Callaghan, president of cardiovascular division at St Jude Medical, said: “The data from the FAME study demonstrate that compared to angiography alone, St Jude Medical’s FFR technology improves patient outcomes while reducing costs to the healthcare system. Through the integration of PressureWire Aeris with McKesson’s cath lab recording systems, even more physicians will have access to this patient-benefiting and cost-saving technology.”

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