Medical innovation is going to help thousands of heart patients

Why we write about this topic:

There are about 1.7 million people in the Netherlands with cardiovascular disease. Innovations in diagnosis can save lives.

Eindhoven-based Sioux Technologies and English start-up Echopoint Medical Ltd. are launching a new technology to detect heart disease: iKOr. This medical diagnostic device uses glass fibers and laser light to very accurately map blood flow in the tiny blood vessels around the heart, Sioux said in a press release.

Traditional X-rays focus on the large coronary arteries and small details are not clearly visible. iKOr is expected to help thousands of heart patients. Especially women with heart disease are going to benefit substantially, since problems often originate in the small blood vessels and are overlooked in women. iKOr was recently successfully tested on the first three patients during clinical trials at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.

Better measurement technology for heart disease

What is unique about this diagnostic device is that it shows both blood pressure and blood flow around the heart, making the tiny blood vessels more measurable, compared to traditional X-rays. This makes it easier for cardiologists to assess the health of a person’s heart and determine how to treat heart disease. It involves a user-friendly software application and electro-optical console, where blood flow and blood pressure can be easily and safely measured with just the push of a button.

Koen Smits, Senior Account Manager at Sioux Technologies said, “This project demonstrates well how we in the Netherlands are able to co-develop groundbreaking medical innovations. By implementing laser light in the human heart, this technology has to meet the very highest safety requirements. This challenge only makes our contribution more special and valuable!”

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