St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, has launched ILUMIEN PCI Optimization System as a treatment option for patients suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD) in India. The ILUMIEN system is an integrated diagnostic technology that combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) technologies together in one platform helping physicians better identify and make treatment decisions for blood flow blockages in the heart.

The ILUMIEN System allows for a customized plan unique to each patient, using the most beneficial treatment options that can range from medication, stenting or surgery, or a combination of therapies. With the integration of FFR and OCT technologies, physicians can identify the precise measurement and dimensions of culprit artery narrowings responsible for obstructing blood flow to a patient's heart, as well as determine vessel size and structure. The ILUMIEN PCI Optimization System received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European CE Mark approval in 2011.

"The ILUMIEN system combines two powerful tools to help physicians decide on the best treatment strategy for patients with coronary artery disease," said Mr Kaustav Banerjee, country manager for St. Jude Medical India. "St. Jude Medical is dedicated to providing Indian physicians with advanced technologies that help them efficiently and effectively diagnose and treat patients."

The Madras Medical Mission hospital located in Chennai was the first center to use the ILUMIEN System in India to create a treatment plan for patients with CAD. Using the ILUMIEN System, physicians gain advanced physiological and anatomical insights to improve the diagnosis and treatment of CAD.

"The key to treating coronary artery disease is by knowing which blockage or blockages need treatment, and understanding how to best treat them," said Dr. Mullasari Ajit Sankardas, director of cardiology at Madras Medical Mission. "The ILUMIEN system provides me with this critical information about the severity and location of blood flow blocks in one place to create a personalized treatment plan for each patient."