Imricor Launches Imricor Cardiovascular, Opening New U.S. Market for Radiation-Free Cardiac Catheterization

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Imricor Medical Systems, Inc. (Company or Imricor) (ASX: IMR) is pleased to announce the launch of Imricor Cardiovascular, a new vertical that expands the interventional MR (iMR) market for Imricor alongside its electrophysiology and ablation business. Following recent FDA clearances for NorthStar^® and the Vision-MR^® Diagnostic Catheter, Imricor Cardiovascular gives U.S. hospitals an opportunity to establish early leadership in radiation-free cardiac catheterization by performing these procedures in an iMR lab utilizing the superior imaging power of magnetic resonance (MR).

Imricor Cardiovascular is designed to support a new model of care that is both clinically meaningful and operationally compelling for hospitals. By replacing separate MR imaging and X-ray cath lab sessions with a single-session workflow in the iMR lab, hospitals can deliver a more integrated care experience for patients and families while contributing to per-patient procedural time savings of approximately 35%* and freeing existing X-ray cath lab capacity for other interventional procedures.

For patients, the value of Imricor Cardiovascular is especially evident in congenital and pediatric heart care, where children with complex heart conditions face repeated procedures over many years. The possibility of cardiac catheterization guided by MR without exposure to ionizing radiation can make a meaningful difference in children’s lives and long-term health. In these cases, being able to answer key clinical questions in a single procedure can result in fewer anesthetics, less disruption for families, and more efficient use of hospital resources, while providing physicians with more detailed anatomical, tissue, and functional information during the procedure.

Greg Englehardt, Imricor’s VP of Global Sales, said: “With Imricor Cardiovascular, hospitals can pioneer radiation-free cardiac care, safeguard vulnerable patients, and arm care teams with MR imaging. By doing this can also put their programs at the leading edge of iMR-guided catheterization in the United States.”

Imricor’s CEO, Steve Wedan, added: “This launch marks an important step forward for both patients and hospitals. We believe better imaging has the power to change how cardiac procedures are performed, and it is especially meaningful to see this change begin with children who can benefit from fewer separate sessions and the elimination of radiation.”

Hospitals who want to lead in iMR-guided care are encouraged to contact Imricor to learn more about implementation, training, and program development. Patients and families interested in radiation-free cardiac procedures should ask their physician or hospital whether Imricor’s iMR technology is available at their center today, or when their hospital plans to offer it.

*Brenyo AJ, Baibhav B, Aktas MK. Contemporary use of intracardiac echocardiography in the electrophysiology laboratory. J Innov Card Rhythm Manag. 2011;2:490-497. doi:10.19102/icrm.2011.02081028.

Rogers T, Ratnayaka K, Lederman RJ. MRI catheterization in cardiopulmonary disease. Chest. 2014 Jan;145(1):30-36. doi: 10.1378/chest.13-1759. PMID: 24394821; PMCID: PMC3883265.