Business Today

KENNETT -- Three Rivers Healthcare has installed a new $1 million, all-digital cardiovascular imaging system in its cardiac catheterization lab that allows cardiologists to view blood vessels, even hard-to-see ones, with more clarity.

With the GE Innova 2000 imaging system, physicians at Three Rivers Healthcare can better view and treat coronary artery blockages that could cause heart attacks or other serious cardiovascular damage.

"This new technology promotes faster procedures, requires less radiation exposure and gives us the ability to see details, especially balloons and stents, better than ever," said Dr. Donald Voelker, medical director of the hospital's cardiac catheterization program and chief of cardiovascular services.

The Innova 2000 is used in both diagnostic angiograms and angioplasty treatment studies.

The cardiology program, being coordinated by Dr. Voelker, a cardiologist, and Dr. William Wilson, a cardiovascular surgeon, will eventually include open-heart surgery and other coronary and vascular procedures.

The Innova 2000, from GE Medical Systems, uses GE's Revolution digital detector, which replaces conventional X-ray imaging components along with their artifacts and distortions for crisper, cleaner, clearer images.

The digital detector reads X-rays passing through the patient's body, creating an almost instantaneous image on a high-resolution monitor. Images from the GE Innova 2000 are viewed, networked and archived electronically in a filmless fashion.

Physicians can zoom in to look at important areas in greater detail. The computer can adjust the image for the best clarity. That means physicians are seeing more of what they need to see, without the distortions from conventional X-ray systems

"We're bringing the future of cardiac X-ray imaging to patients in the Three Rivers Region," Voelker said. "It's a change in the way we image the heart and related blood vessels that can help us provide excellent care for more patients."