b'This photo: Katarina Nelson, MD, LOW ARTF HEand Henry Smith, MDOpposite: Dr. Nelson with HeartFlow Analysis technologyTop 5IN-THE-NATION USER OF HEARTFLOW IMAGING TO IDENTIFY CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE cardiac MRI,to improve the technology, shecardiovascularsays. We work very closely.CT and SPECT/ How does HeartFlow work?K nowing heart disease isPET nuclear imaging. Hopefully, byIt involves standard CT scans, the the No. 1 killer for bothresearching the area, we can changelatest advancements in artificial men and women, Katarinathe natural history of this disease andintelligence (AI), cloud computing and Nelson, MD, chose to become ahelp people to change their mortalitythe computational study of blood flow cardiologist because of the incredibleand morbidity in the future. Imaging(hemodynamics). HeartFlow uses a CT impact she could make. As theplays a big role in cardiac diagnosticsscan dataset to develop a 3D model of director of Cone Healths non-invasiveand therapies. the patients heart labeled with a color-GOING WITH THE cardiovascular imaging, she has madeLIFE-SAVING IMAGES coded vessel-by-vessel assessment of great strides in patient care usingflow physiology. The physician reviews a variety of technology, includingAs an early adopter of HeartFlowthe data, correlates it with coronaryHeartFlow HeartFlow Analysisa diagnosticAnalysis at Cone Health, Dr. NelsonCT angiography findings and, based on test that helps physicians identify theis poised to realize the positive impactpatients presentation and risk factors, impact that blockages have on bloodshe set out to make when she entereddecides about appropriate therapy.Photos by William Jarrettflow to the heart.the field. This powerful combination of With these new technologies,We were one of the few centersinformation allows doctors to we are getting better about thein the United States and in theclearly identify problem areas before pathophysiology of atherosclerosisworld where they were testingrecommending more invasive (and disease, says Dr. Nelson, whotheir applications that were notexpensive) cath-lab procedures. This specializes in a wide range ofcommercially available yet, and theytype of imaging is also an improvement A NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IS REVOLUTIONIZING HEART CARE. cardiovascular imaging, includingrely on feedback from centers like uson less-reliable nuclear stress tests to 22 / CONE HEALTH HEART & VASCULAR / 23'