FDA clears Philips SmartHeart AI to streamline Cardiac MRI workflows

USA—The US Food and Drug Administration has granted clearance to Philips’ SmartHeart AI, providing clinicians with an advanced tool to simplify cardiac magnetic resonance imaging workflows.

The technology addresses one of the most technically challenging applications in medical imaging today.

Heart MRI stands out as particularly demanding compared to imaging other organs.

Clinicians must use synchronized cardiac and respiratory gating or breath-holding techniques to prevent motion artifacts that can compromise the diagnostic quality of cardiac scans.

AI training enables rapid image planning

Philips developed SmartHeart AI using more than 1,200 MR datasets for training.

The system automates 14 standard and advanced cardiac views in less than 30 seconds.

This automation reduces operator variability while improving workflow consistency and minimizing the need for manual adjustments during cardiac MR procedures.

The technology also delivers significant benefits for patients undergoing heart imaging.

SmartHeart can cut the number of required breath-holds for basic views by up to 75%, making the examination considerably more comfortable for those being scanned.

Integrated AI Suite enhances diagnostic capabilities

SmartHeart’s FDA clearance enables it to work alongside other AI tools within Philips’ comprehensive cardiac MR platform.

 The company has assembled several complementary technologies to address different imaging challenges.

CINE FreeBreathing allows diagnostic imaging without requiring patients to hold their breath, particularly benefiting those who struggle with breath-holding or experience irregular heart rhythms.

Cardiac Motion Correction tackles both cardiac and respiratory motion, helping clinicians achieve more definitive diagnoses.

CardiacQuant Perfusion offers non-invasive quantitative assessment of blood flow to the heart muscle, supporting more objective detection of subtle perfusion abnormalities.

Transforming cardiac imaging practice

Ioannis Panagiotelis, who leads Philips’ MR business division, emphasized the transformative potential of embedding SmartHeart directly into the planning workflow.

He stated that Philips is fundamentally changing how cardiac MR imaging gets performed, converting it from a highly specialized, time-intensive procedure into a streamlined, intelligent, and scalable solution.

Growing AI healthcare market

Artificial intelligence continues making substantial inroads across the healthcare sector, especially in optimizing imaging workflows to enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce the time practitioners spend on MRI and related imaging protocols.

 GlobalData reported that the combined AI market across healthcare reached a valuation of USD 11.9 billion in 2024.

 The research firm projects this figure will climb to USD57.4 billion by 2029, reflecting the accelerating adoption of AI technologies throughout medical practice.

The clearance of SmartHeart AI represents another step forward in integrating artificial intelligence into routine clinical imaging, potentially making advanced cardiac diagnostics more accessible and efficient for healthcare facilities.