Enabling New Possibilities in Cerebrovascular Intervention

“Cerebrovascular interventional procedures are considered particularly challenging because it is not easy to accurately manipulate associated materials, such as small catheters, stents, and coils in tiny and complex cerebral vessels, while simultaneously viewing X-ray images in real-time with contrast media. Highly precise and swift procedures are required with high-quality imaging equipment and skilled specialists,” he continued.
As small instruments, such as coils and stents must be inserted into complex blood vessels, monitoring their micromovements is important for increasing the accuracy of the procedure and ensuring patient safety.

“In the past, image resolution was not sufficient to accurately monitor blood vessel images, and the skill of the specialist was extremely important when inserting coils or stents, said Prof. Suh. “However, the recent emergence of equipment featuring ultra-high-resolution imaging has greatly benefited these procedures. The Alphenix supports safe and accurate cerebrovascular interventional procedures with the ‘Hi-Def (High- Definition) detector.’”

The Alphenix allows the procedure to be performed while clearly visualizing the insertion of coils or stents, which reduces the procedure time and allows medical staff to be reassured about the results of the procedure.

Detector technology with the Alphenix includes Real-Time Auto Pixel Shift (RAPS), which corrects pixels in the image in real-time to reduce blurring caused by patient movement. RAPS technology not only corrects movements in the vertical and horizontal directions but also enables real-time correction for localized rotations enabling precise identification of the shape and position of blood vessels.

“Various types of new correction technologies are helpful for procedures. In the Alphenix, precise imaging with Hi-Def detector and real-time correction technology (Real-time Auto Pixel Shift) are also proving to be more helpful than before,’ said Prof. Suh. “In the past, medical professionals' experience and know-how significantly influenced interventional procedures. However, recent advancements in system processing ability facilitate quick processing of large amounts of image information in real-time, thereby reducing decision-making time during the procedures.”

Ultra-high-resolution imaging can improve the accuracy of procedures, but as interventional procedures require high-quality real-time imaging their radiation exposure is typically higher than that of general radiographic examinations, primarily due to the use of radiation during interventions.

However, advancements in technology are not only improving the resolution of images but also reducing radiation dosage.

‘Through the Alphenix, I can see that Canon is making numerous efforts to reduce radiation dosage. True- Hi definition technology serves to provide ultra-high-resolution images with minimal dose, ensuring accurate and safe interventions,” said Prof. Suh. “In addition, various technologies that minimize the dose exposed to the patient during the procedure and the Dose Tracking System (DTS) technology that visualizes the patient’s 3D image in color, both enable real-time observation of actual exposure and facilitate data management to control the radiation dosage. The technology for real-time image correction is also related to low radiation dosage.”

The roles of interventional procedures have expanded over many years, and it seems that it will continue to broaden even further in the future.

“I believe that in the future, there will be a variety of intervention procedures aimed at improving quality of life available to patients beyond the area of treatment,” said Prof. Suh. “To achieve this, reducing radiation exposure will be the key challenge. This is because the most important element in the field of interventional procedures is how well it can manage X-ray exposure for both patients and operators.”