For Immediate Release Contact marketingcommunications@us.medical.canon
April 4, 2011
NEW ORLEANS, April 4, 2011 – As one of the world’s largest providers of cardiovascular care, Memorial Hermann is a leader in cardiac and vascular intervention, performing thousands of interventional procedures annually in the cath lab. With the installation of five InfinixTM-i vascular X-ray systems from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., two leading cardiologists at the Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute – Texas Medical Center, Dr. Colin Barker, assistant professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), and Dr. Richard Smalling, professor and director of Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine at UTHealth, have been able to institute the radial approach for cardiovascular interventional procedures. The five systems installed include two VF-i bi-plane systems, two CF-i single plane systems and one VF-i single plane system. Toshiba will provide information about the Infinix VF-i single plane at this year’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in New Orleans, April 2 – 5, 2011 (Booth # 2847).
Most U.S. healthcare providers rely on femoral access for interventional procedures, despite its inherent risk of complications. However, research has shown that transradial intervention significantly reduces bleeding complications during angioplasty and stenting. In addition to being safer for the patient, it is also more comfortable. After radial intervention, patients experience rapid ambulation. The lower risk of complication coupled with faster ambulation results in speedier recovery, better patient comfort and reduced length of stay. By reducing the complications and improving recovery time, patients are discharged from the hospital faster, which help to lower overall healthcare costs.
Relying on the Infinix-i vascular labs, the interventional team at Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute – TMC transitioned into performing more radial interventional procedures. The design of Toshiba’s Infinix-i systems with the flexible five-axis C-arm movement facilitates the radial approach with ease, as it allows clinicians to access the patient from either side, move the C-arm seamlessly, and situate the monitors and control panel to meet the needs of the interventional team.
Dr. Barker is now using the radial approach in 80 percent of the interventional cases he handles, including both low-risk and high-risk cases such as diagnostics, type A lesions with a single blockage, ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), PCI, chronic occlusion and stenting in patients with weak hearts.
“Toshiba’s Infinix-i vascular lab is ideal for radial interventions as it allows equal access to the right and left radial arteries,” explained Dr. Barker. “The design of the system enables us to move the monitors and change the positioning of the C-arm without having to pivot the table to reposition the patient, so we can operate from either side. This creates an ergonomically comfortable environment for the interventional team and the patient.”
The Infinix VF-i single plane features a versatile multi-axis, floor-mounted C-arm providing unprecedented access to the patient, and over five feet of lateral travel at the head-end of the table for fingertip-to-fingertip coverage. In addition, the system’s tableside control cart and footswitch position provide a comfortable location for interventionalists to access the table panning handle. Monitors can be positioned on either side in front of the team, or moved closer for easy viewing. This unprecedented access and coverage of the floor-mounted five-axis, combined with the flexible positioning of tableside controls and monitor display, make this system ideal for performing transradial procedures with improved overall efficiency.
Toshiba’s Infinix-i design incorporates numerous features to lower radiation and provide clinicians with the ability to attain the optimum blend of image quality and dose management. Quick exam times, system mechanics, shielding and system technology all contribute to limiting radiation dose to the lowest possible amounts for the desired clinical application.
“The installation of five Infinix-i systems at Memorial Hermann is an example of Toshiba’s commitment to helping elevate patient care through improved workflow and reduced complications during interventional procedures,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “With an unparalleled range of motion, the system helps increase collaboration between cardiologists and clinical staff, making it an ideal system to support radial intervention without compromising patient outcomes.”
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 19,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a Level 1 trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates an air ambulance; cancer, imaging and surgery centers; sports medicine and rehabilitation centers; outpatient laboratories; a Wellness Center; a chemical-dependency treatment center; a home health agency; a retirement community; and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713-222-CARE.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), the most comprehensive academic health center in The UT System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, is home to schools of biomedical informatics, biomedical sciences, dentistry, medicine, nursing and public health. UTHealth educates more healthcare professionals than any other health-related institution in the State of Texas and features the nation’s seventh-largest medical school. It also includes a psychiatric hospital and a growing network of clinics throughout the region. The university’s primary teaching hospitals include Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. Founded in 1972, UTHealth’s 10,000-plus faculty, staff, students and residents are committed to delivering innovative solutions that create the best hope for a healthier future.
With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States. Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., an independent group company of Toshiba Corp., is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI and information systems. Toshiba Corp. is a worldwide leader in technology, electronic and electrical products, digital consumer products, electronic devices and components, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875 and today operates a global network of more than 742 companies with more than 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $68 billion. For more information, visit Toshiba’s website at www.medical.toshiba.com.