The cardiology team at the Royal Free London with the ARTIS icono angiography system from Siemens Healthineers
The Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Heart Attack Centre is the first in England to feature the ARTIS icono floor from Siemens Healthineers. The installation of the innovative multi-axis floor angiography system is part of a project to improve imaging quality at the Trust, allowing more confident diagnoses and optimising clinical workflows to transform patient care.
The Heart Attack Centre at the Royal Free Hospital is one of the busiest in London and performs a range of complex coronary procedures serving over one million people in north London. As part of a project to improve the quality of imaging at the Trust, the Royal Free Hospital began renovations in October 2019, later facing the unexpected setback of COVID-19. Despite delays, changing infection control guidance and a need to keep emergency services running, the project remained on track.
The ARTIS icono, now stationed in the Heart Attack Centre at the Royal Free Hospital offers excellent image consistency, with OPTIQ technology clearly identifying structures and devices at a lower dose. With its intuitive operation and procedural intelligence, the ARTIS icono is designed with the user in mind – speeding up procedures and improving efficiency to enhance the Trust’s heart attack service. Designed to optimise workflows, the ARTIS icono improves clinical operations for cardiovascular interventions with motorised-system positioning and optimal patient access.
“We’re very excited to be the first hospital in the UK, and one of the first in Europe, to make use of this new technology for cardiac purposes,” states Simone Towie, Group Head of Imaging at the Royal Free Hospital. “The ARTIS icono from Siemens Healthineers has a touchscreen making it easier to use and more efficient. The system also produces high quality images, which means we can make a more accurate diagnosis and the dose delivered to patients is lower, so it’s safer for them and our staff.”
“As interventions become increasingly complex, there is a clear need for angiography systems that can optimise clinical operations, improve ease of use and extend procedural flexibility. The ARTIS icono, with its advanced imaging and connectivity features, is setting a new standard in cardiovascular care,” states Caroline Warhurst, Cardiology Business Line Manager at Siemens Healthineers GB&I. “With procedural intelligence, the ARTIS icono floor at the Royal Free Hospital will help the team keep pace with new interventions and workflow changes in the cardiovascular environment. The system’s OPTIQ contrast-driven technology automatically maintains constant image quality, with OPTIQ Structure Scout adjusting the X-ray spectrum for material-specific imaging. Ultimately, the ARTIS icono provides optimal visibility at a lower dose.”
