Expanded AI-based Echocardiography Analysis and Reporting Added to Konica Minolta Exa Cardio PACS 

November 12, 2020 – Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. and DiA Imaging Analysis Ltd. jointly announce the expanded deployment of the LVivo Cardiac ultrasound artificial intelligence (AI) Toolbox on the Exa Cardio PACS platform.

Exa users will have access to LVivo Toolbox to perform automated and quantified analysis of the left ventricle to detect cardiac dysfunction in COVID-19 patients in the echo lab and on the frontline, as recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI). With Exa’s Zero Footprint Universal Viewer and reporting system, the LVivo EF solution can be used to monitor COVID-19 patients’ global heart function on any workstation, reducing patient imaging bottlenecks. Performing this analysis on a workstation rather than the ultrasound system also minimizes patient-staff contact to limit the risk of infection.

Exa users can now perform and bill for reimbursement for myocardial strain imaging when using LVivo Strain.

AI-based solutions such as LVivo Cardiac Toolbox are increasingly being adopted to automate workflow and assist clinicians with objective clinical indications to support their decision-making process. In echocardiography, AI-based analysis tools may also help reduce variability and increase efficiency throughout the analysis process.Providing these advanced echocardiography tools on Exa enables users to free up the ultrasound system for patient exams rather than performing manual and time-consuming analysis. The LVivo AI-based Cardiac Toolbox is accessible in one click.

“DiA’s automated, AI-based software provides reliable and fast measurements based on echocardiograms," said Steve Feinstein, M.D., FACC, director of echocardiography for the section of cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "It’s a remarkable advance and a very useful second opinion in the echo lab.”

With LVivo Strain analysis, Feinstein said it only takes seconds to apply. “This is an automated presentation and the analysis is almost instantaneous with the strain image displayed on the bottom. It’s a remarkable tool,” he said.

With Exa Server-Side Rendering, images are instantly available with zero lag time from any Web-enabled computer, including prior studies.

The platform includes:    
   • LVivo EF - Auto Ejection Fraction analysis, a key indicator of cardiac function, essential in cases of heart failure, shock, chest pain, as well as cardiac and surgical procedures.    
   • LVivo Strain - Auto evaluation of segmental and global Left Ventricle (LV) strain, an early indicator for reduced LV function that is especially important in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Strain analysis is now a reimbursable exam in the U.S.
   • LVivo SWM - Auto evaluation of the Segmental Wall Motion of the 17 muscle segments of the left ventricle. LVivo SWM provides information about the contraction of each of the segments and the global contractility. Identifying wall motion abnormalities is especially important during and after coronary events.

“In the new COVID-19 normal, sonographers and echocardiographers are facing a new challenge in coping with increased procedures in the echo lab while supporting patients on the frontlines,” says Noah Liel-Cohen, M.D., echocardiographer at Soroka Medical Center and a co-founder of DiA Imaging Analysis. “AI-based tools like LVivo can help alleviate bottlenecks by automating workflows and shortening evaluation times to support faster decisions and minimize unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19.”

Konica Minolta and DiA will demonstrate LVivo Toolbox during the upcoming Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2020 virtual meeting.

For more information: www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa, www.dia-analysis.com