Philips has begun rolling out a major update to its cardiovascular ultrasound systems, incorporating a host of imaging quality upgrades and recently cleared artificial intelligence programs.
The Transcend Plus suite of software, currently making its way to the company’s EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx echocardiography systems, expands upon Philips’ first Transcend release, which debuted in the middle of last year.
The new addition includes 2D and 3D applications that automatically calculate anatomical measures related to heart failure, valve disease and other conditions—such as ejection fraction, cardiac wall motion and chamber volumes—while also improving overall sharpness, contrast and detail.
Though the platform has already been deployed to certain customers, Philips is raising the curtain with live demonstrations at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology, being held this weekend in Madrid, as well as at September’s American Society of Echocardiography annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
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“Transcend Plus is more than an advancement—it’s a clear statement of Philips’ leadership in cardiovascular ultrasound,” Philips’ business leader for cardiology ultrasound, David Handler, said in a statement. “Building on the momentum of our original Transcend launch, Transcend Plus brings the full power of AI integration to the forefront, giving clinicians the confidence, speed, and precision they need to lead in cardiac care—today and into the future.”
The system will now integrate 26 separate FDA-cleared AI applications, aimed at simplifying workflows by offering fewer manual steps, while still allowing clinicians to make their own changes as needed.
That includes the automatic, real-time selection of the optimal 2D images for determining left ventricle performance, across both contrast and non-contrast scans. Other programs feature 3D quantification of the dimensions of the tricuspid valve, which can aid in selecting the proper implant size for patients with regurgitation.
Philips said the use of AI in these settings could help reduce the variability in reads by different sonographers while making analysis times more efficient in the face of staffing shortages and more patients needing care.
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This week, the company also highlighted cardiology-focused results from its global survey on healthcare and AI, which was first released earlier this year.
Philips said new findings showed international patients reporting an average time of nearly 12 weeks to see a specialist—with 1 in 3 saying their condition worsened while they waited, resulting in hospitalization. At the same time, almost half of clinician respondents estimated they’ve lost more than 45 minutes each shift due to incomplete or inaccessible patient data.
More than 4 in 5 providers said they think AI can automate repetitive tasks and extend clinical capacity—however, patients are still wary.
Only about 56% of cardiac patients said they are optimistic that AI can improve healthcare. That follows the report’s broader findings from May illustrating a trust gap between patients and professionals.
