Siemens Healthineers and HeartFlow Collaborate to Provide FFRct Analysis After Coronary CTA

March 16, 2017—Siemens Healthineers and HeartFlow, Inc. announced that they have entered into a global collaboration agreement to provide a comprehensive, noninvasive solution to support the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). HeartFlow's fractional flow reserve CT (FFRct) personalized medical technology, which aids in the diagnosis and treatment of CAD, will be used to help achieve Siemens Healthineers' mission of enabling health care providers to meet current challenges and excel in their respective environments.

The collaboration’s joint solution pairs CT scanners from Siemens Healthineers with the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, the first noninvasive technology to provide insight into both the extent of CAD and the impact that disease has on blood flow to the heart.

Using CT images, the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis creates a personalized three-dimensional model of each patient’s arteries, and computer algorithms then simulate blood flow and assess the impact of arterial blockages. The combined clinical pathway of coronary CTA and the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis offers actionable information that helps physicians determine each patient’s optimal course of treatment.

According to the companies, published clinical data demonstrate that use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis may prevent unnecessary invasive angiograms.

The United States is the initial commercial focus of this collaboration agreement, and the two companies plan to expand their efforts to additional geographic markets in the future.