The HeartFlow® Analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic technology that aids physicians in diagnosing and managing coronary artery disease (CAD). Visit the HeartFlow website here.*
* Please note that I did not influence the current website design
What is HeartFlow?
HeartFlow is a SAAS company that analyzes how blockages and narrowings affect blood flow to a patient’s heart. Using a CT scan, HeartFlow creates a digital 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries. With trained specialists and powerful AI-driven algorithms, the Analysis simulates blood flow and generates FFRCT values, stenosis information, and plaque characteristics. Physicians receive a digital, color-coded, 3D model of the patient's coronary arteries that is available on web and mobile, in addition to a PDF overview that can easily be added to a patient's file.
What's the value proposition?
CAD is the most common form of heart disease and the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.1 This disease develops when the arteries leading to the heart become narrowed or blocked entirely, causing a reduction in blood flow to the heart. This may result in chest pain and heart attacks. CAD is often evaluated and diagnosed by non-invasive tests with low accuracy rates. A recent study found more than half of patients with suspected CAD who underwent an invasive coronary angiogram (ICA) did not need intervention since no blood flow-limiting blockage was found during the procedure.2 Patients unnecessarily undergo costly, risky procedures due to the outdated status quo of cardiac healthcare.
The HeartFlow Analysis helped identify which patients do and do not need invasive treatment in clinical trials.3 It also reduced the cost of care by 26% compared to usual care4 and has been used as a diagnostic tool for hundreds of thousands of patients with suspected heart disease.
1 American Heart Association
2 Patel, et al., Am Heart J 2014; 167:846-852.e2
3 Douglas, et al., Euro Heart J 2015
4 Douglas, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2016; 68:435-45
2 Patel, et al., Am Heart J 2014; 167:846-852.e2
3 Douglas, et al., Euro Heart J 2015
4 Douglas, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2016; 68:435-45
What is the product?
While the FFRCT Analysis is HeartFlow's flagship product, it offers other cardiac care analyses that assist in diagnosing and managing heart disease. All products are derived from the FFRCT processing workflow.
FFRCT Analysis
The FFRCT Analysis provides a personalized, color-coded 3D model of your coronary arteries showing how the blockages impact blood flow. Values greater than 0.80 are generally perceived as healthy while values less than are considered poor.
Roadmap Analysis
The RoadMap Analysis is an overview of the coronary tree anatomy, indicating stenosis location, assessed severity, and plaque volume in each major vessel system.
Plaque Analysis
The Plaque Analysis provides insights into the type of plaque present (Calcified, Non-calcified, Low-Attenuation) in a patient's coronary systems.
How does it work?
HeartFlow relies on a CT-first patient pathway, requiring coronary CTA to be acquired for processing. Data is pushed via a proprietary connection called HeartFlow Connect, installed during implementation at a hospital, to the HeartFlow Cloud. There, a trained analyst takes the data through HeartFlow Workstation tasks to refine the initial 3D model according to stringent processes. Once the 3D mesh is finalized, it is sent through the Solver where After the analysis, a PDF is generated along with the interactive (3D) model to provide detailed information for physicians to understand patient risk, discuss heart health, and inform optimal treatment options.
HeartFlow's ecosystem is comprised of four separate interfaces: Clinical (web and iOS applications used by customers), Customer Support (web application used by HeartFlow support representatives), Operations (web application used by analysts to prioritize patients and launch their workstation), and the Analyst Workstation (proprietary software used by analysts to review and alter the patient 3D model).
The HeartFlow product is available in web, mobile, and PDF formats