Through a collaboration with Edwards Lifesciences, Philips is rolling out new artificial intelligence tools designed to assist interventional cardiologists in placing the heart implant maker’s minimally invasive valve hardware.
Built on Philips’ EchoNavigator platform, which combines real-time ultrasound and X-ray imaging, the company’s DeviceGuide AI solution will initially work with Edwards’ clip-like Pascal Ace repair implant for treating regurgitation within the mitral valve.
The tech will enable tracking of the Pascal Ace repair implant with a virtual 3D model as it moves through the heart during the technically challenging procedure, according to a press release from Philips.
“With DeviceGuide, we’re bringing AI into the heart of the procedure room, and into the heart itself,” Atul Gupta, Philips chief medical officer for diagnosis and treatment, said in a statement.
“This is Philips’ first AI assisting physicians in real time to visualize and guide heart valve treatment devices as they navigate the beating heart,” added Gupta. “It’s helping doctors in the moment as they are helping their patients with structural heart disease.”
The system will make its debut this week at the London Valves annual structural heart meeting, Philips said.
Typically, clinicians must keep an eye on X-ray and ultrasound images across multiple screens, all while coordinating actions between two operators as they work to precisely grasp the valve’s moving leaflets. The Pascal’s clip is designed to catch and hold together part of those leaflets, helping the valve form a tighter seal and stop blood from moving backwards with each beat.
“DeviceGuide demonstrates the impact of combining leading imaging and therapy expertise to develop solutions designed around the procedural workflow, a model that will shape the future of AI-enabled image-guided structural interventions,” said Mark Stoffels, Philips’ business leader for image-guided therapy systems.
DeviceGuide can also track the implant’s path and orientation, providing what it describes as a GPS for the heart. The company said it hopes the addition will enable fewer manual adjustments during the procedure, including the refocusing of imaging devices or moving the implant itself.
“The AI software serves as an assistive tool, with the physician always remaining in control. This isn’t about replacing expertise—it’s about amplifying it,” said Gupta. “By embedding AI into the procedure, DeviceGuide gives physicians an extra pair of eyes, effectively bionic vision, helping them treat more patients safely and confidently.”
In addition, Philips recently collected a new 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the latest version of its cardiovascular imaging and information management platform—which the company expects will help accelerate AI adoption for automating analyses and documentation.
The upgrade to its Cardiovascular Workspace program, under its HealthSuite diagnostic umbrella, brings cloud hosting through Amazon Web Services and remote reading capabilities.