Advanced imaging is becoming an essential pillar of precision care in cardiovascular intervention. As the medical device sector continues to shift toward data-driven and personalized treatment models, imaging tools like optical coherence tomography (OCT), when paired with artificial intelligence (AI), emerge as transformative assets. This combination benefits not only the physician and patients, but also the broader ecosystem of medtech developers and manufacturers.

Traditional angiography has long been the mainstay of coronary imaging. However, it limits visibility in arterial walls and plaque composition. OCT provides three-dimensional visualization of vascular structures, enabling procedural planning with far greater specificity.

What makes OCT particularly valuable in today’s cath labs is its compatibility with AI-enabled tools. By layering artificial intelligence over imaging data, physicians can receive actionable insights in real time, such as highlighting plaque characteristics, guiding device sizing, and verifying stent placement.

AI platforms act as decision-support tools, enhancing—but not replacing—physician expertise. Abbott’s Ultreon 2.0 Software integrates OCT imaging with AI to provide physicians with insights that enable faster, more efficient decision-making in the cath lab. 

Shifting Toward Smarter, Faster Interventions

The integration of AI enables procedural optimization in several ways.

Real-Time Plaque Characterization

A more in-depth imaging platform with AI analyzes images and can help physicians classify plaque type, which may not be evident through traditional methods.  

Precision in Stenting

By assessing vessel diameter, AI can recommend stent length and diameter more accurately, potentially reducing post-procedure complications. For example, Abbott’s Ultreon 2.0 uses data to automatically measure lumen and vessel dimensions, suggesting appropriate stent sizing.

Workflow Efficiency

Automating key measurements reduces procedural variability and helps standardize care. This is particularly useful in high-volume centers. Evidence shows that when physicians combine AI-enhanced software with OCT imaging, PCI planning tends to be more accurate, more consistent, and more efficient.

AI and digital health are also set to transform vascular care more broadly by improving early diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. By analyzing vast amounts of medical data, AI can enable earlier detection of conditions and more personalized treatment plans, leading to better patient outcomes before, during, and after the cath lab.

Practical Considerations for Preparing the Cath Lab

As adoption grows, hospitals, physicians, and healthcare decision-makers across the care continuum must ensure their systems and teams are prepared. I recommend three key priorities.

1. Training

Physicians should receive structured education and training to improve their clinical outcomes. Spending time interpreting where AI-generated insights overlap with clinical data, measurements, and guidance ensures the physician stays in control while benefiting from AI. Practical experience in live or simulated settings builds the confidence needed to apply these tools effectively during procedures.

2. Infrastructure Readiness

Hospitals may need to upgrade software platforms, secure data-sharing capabilities, and ensure interoperability across devices and electronic health records.

3. Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Bringing together IT, biomedical engineering, and clinical leadership is critical to ensure seamless deployment and workflow integration. Early collaboration, leadership buy-in, and demonstrating measurable benefits can accelerate adoption.

At the same time, medtech developers should anticipate the need for devices that integrate seamlessly into these intelligent technologies.

Looking Forward: Predictive Imaging and Proactive Care

Ultreon 2.0 is the first example of AI in the cath lab, but it’s only the beginning. While today’s AI-OCT platforms support procedural guidance, the next evolution will be more predictive, personalized, and integrated into each step of the process. AI will help calculate the resistance to blood flow caused by blockages and enable physicians to zero in on the most critical blockages to improve blood flow to the heart.

The combination of OCT and AI represents more than a technological enhancement; it signals a broader movement toward data-guided precision in cardiovascular medicine. For physicians, this means safer, more informed interventions. For R&D teams, it introduces new design opportunities and data-driven strategies. For patients, it will help provide proactive care and support long-term outcomes.

As the medtech field advances into intelligent diagnostics and predictive analytics, companies that implement these capabilities into development cycles will be best positioned to shape the future of cardiovascular care.

Ethan Korngold, M.D. is the divisional vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer in Abbott’s Vascular business. He is a leader in transcatheter interventions, education, and innovation with more than 20 years of experience in medical practice. His career is defined by interdisciplinary collaborations in coronary, peripheral, and structural clinical and research programs to provide high-quality, leading-edge patient care. Prior to joining Abbott’s Vascular business, Dr. Korngold was the medical director and division chief of Interventional Cardiology and Structural Heart at the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute in Portland, Oregon. He also held leadership and clinical research roles as medical director of Cardiovascular Research at the same organization. As an authority on the topics of coronary, peripheral vascular, and structural interventions, Dr. Korngold is a regular speaker at national and international conferences and has co-authored multiple publications for peer-reviewed journals.