October 21, 2011 – St. Jude Medical announced the launch of the C7-XR optical coherence tomography (OCT) intravascular imaging system with the C7 Dragonfly Imaging Catheter in India. OCT is a next-generation coronary imaging technology platform that aids physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and is used by interventional cardiologists to assist with stent selection and provide post-stenting information.
OCT technology utilizes near-infrared light to create images that go beyond older coronary imaging technologies – such as fluoroscopy and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) – offering cardiologists an assessment method with enhanced clarity for their patients with coronary artery disease. With the technology, physicians can visualize and measure important vessel characteristics that are otherwise not visible or difficult to assess with the older imaging technology. Additionally, images are created with 10 times the resolution of intravascular ultrasound technology.
“OCT presents a new landmark in coronary imaging whereby we would be able to see micro structures in coronary arteries, which provides diagnostic information that will help me to perform optimal angioplasty,” said Ashok Seth, M.D., chairman of the Fortis Group of Hospitals. “OCT technology can help me to see early and soft blockages which occur in younger patients and have high risk of causing heart attacks. The images make it almost feel as if the inside of the coronary artery was being seen with the naked eye.”
The imaging capabilities assist physicians in stent selection by providing them with measurements of lesion length and vessel size and structure. Additionally, the OCT technology provides physicians with post-stenting positioning, potentially minimizing the need for repeat revascularization. At follow-up, the technology provides detailed information regarding the inner lining of the vessel and whether there is a recurrence of blood vessel narrowing, also known as stenosis.
According to Seth, in addition to helping determine stent size, OCT can also assist with stent placement, which he believes could help to improve short term and long-term safety and improve patient results.
The C7-XR System with the C7 Dragonfly Imaging Catheter was launched in Europe in May 2009. St. Jude Medical offers the only commercially available intracoronary OCT imaging device in the world. The C7-XR Coronary Imaging System is commercially available in the United States, Europe and Australia.
For more information: www.sjm.com
December 20, 2023 
