Boston Scientific unveils updated imaging software

Associated Press

Boston Scientific Corp., the Natick-based medical device maker, said it released an updated version of an ultrasound-imaging software designed to provide physicians with a more-detailed view of diseased heart and coronary arteries.

The maker of stents said the new software for its iLab ultrasound-imaging system gives doctors with a more accurate 360-degree view inside the heart and coronary vessels than is possible with angiography alone. The imaging system has functions meant to improve the diagnosis process and cut down time, including a feature called iMap that gives a color analysis of plaque in patients.

Stents are mesh-wire tubes used to prop open arteries after they have been cleared of fatty plaque. The latest models use drug coatings to keep scar tissue from reclogging arteries. Boston Scientific said its new iLab software has been rolled out in a limited release, and will be fully available later in 2009. The iMap software is not approved for US sale at this time, the company said.

Boston Scientific shares rose 17 cents to $11.14 in afternoon trading.