Siemens Healthineers presented its new premium ultrasound system to expedite patient diagnosis and reduce measurement variability in cardiac imaging at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), which took place on August 25-28 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The Acuson Origin is an AI-powered system designed to improve patient outcomes and help physicians perform minimally invasive cardiac procedures more efficiently, at a time when those are expected to grow over the next decades.
While the number and complexity of cardiovascular disease patients are rapidly increasing, structural heart interventions are projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 9.15% (2), driven by novel therapies and devices.
“To address these and other diagnostic and interventional cases at a time when acute shortages of clinicians and other ultrasound users persist, healthcare institutions require powerful new cardiovascular tools,’’ the group wrote in a communiqué. “The Acuson Origin is designed to minimize the cognitive and ergonomic workload of cardiac exams and procedures, potentially allowing for greater consistency, reproducibility, and efficiency for the user.’’
“Siemens Healthineers is committed to shaping the future of ultrasound imaging by empowering healthcare professionals with the latest cutting-edge tools,” said Ajay Gannerkote, president of Ultrasound at Siemens Healthineers. “The Acuson Origin is the latest example of that steadfast commitment, with its vast array of new AI features and its potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, elevate patient care, and revolutionize the way we approach cardiovascular imaging.”
Building on a long history
The system’s most distinguishing innovation is its suite of AI-powered features for measurements, view recognition, and imaging assistance. “These AI features build on the company’s rich history of AI innovation that dates back to the late 1990s, its holding of more than 900 AI-related patent families, and its portfolio of more than 80 products with AI elements,’’ the group wrote.
The Acuson Origin’s AI features have been trained on the world’s largest cardiac image database and can save the user time on diagnostic echocardiography procedures, by providing automated measurements that are accurate and reproducible. More than 500 AI- powered measurements on transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are designed to enhance cardiovascular workflows and reduce variability.
The system also delivers automated contouring and quantification of all four cardiac chambers without the need for an ECG via the 2D and 4D HeartAI features. Leveraging the latest advancements in AI, 2D HeartAI opens up auto tracking on contrast images, distinguishing the Acuson Origin as the only commercially available system with this capability.
4D HeartAI is a dual modality advancement for 4D auto contouring of all four chambers in 4D TTE and both ventricles in 4D TEE, averaging up to five beats with or without ECG. Additionally, the system provides real-time cardiac view recognition. AI Assist, a new, AI-driven feature specific to transthoracic echocardiography, recognizes cardiac structures the moment the transducer makes contact with the chest wall. The initial implementation of this cardiac view classification feature is Color and Spectral Doppler placement.
The Acuson Origin is not yet commercially available in the European Union, as it does not yet fulfill all applicable General Safety and Performance Requirements according to the European Medical Device Regulation 2017/745.
(2) Benjamin, E.J., et al. (2017). “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2017 Update: A report from the American Heart Association.” Circulation, 135(10). e146-e603. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000485
