A new computed tomography (CT) scanner substantially reduces potentially harmful radiation while still improving overall image quality. National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, along with engineers at Toshiba Medical Systems, worked on the scanner. An analysis of data on 107 patients undergoing heart scans found that radiation exposure was reduced by as much as 95 percent compared to the range of current machines, while the resulting images showed less blurriness, reduced graininess and greater visibility of fine details.

Catheter-based thrombectomy systems are increasingly being used to remove blood clots from vessels inside the body, often as an adjunct therapy to systemic pharmaceutical thrombolytics. These systems are used in veins, as in the case of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and in arteries, in the case of pulmonary embolism (PE), ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and ischemic stroke. The systems can also quickly clear dialysis arteriovenous grafts, which are prone to thrombus formation.

My job as editor of DAIC is to help readers keep tabs on the latest in cardiovascular technology and trends. With collaboration from my Editorial Advisory Board, we developed a 2013 editorial calendar based on several predictions on what will be the key game-changing technologies. These were determined from observations at numerous cardiology meetings we attended and from needs or trends members of the board have seen in their own practices. Here are our top predictions: