News

Shimadzu Corporation has developed SMART Voice, voice recognition function for Trinias series with SCORE Opera angiography systems. Including SMART Voice function improves examination efficiency and reduces the burden on physicians and healthcare personnel. Shimadzu will exhibit the function with live demonstrations, mainly for cardiac catheterization procedures, at CCT2024 (Kobe International Exhibition Hall, October 24 to 26), TCT2024 (Washington D.C., October 27 to 30), and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) exhibition (Chicago, December 1 to 5).

An angiography system is an X-ray fluoroscopy system used for catheterization procedures, which involve inserting a long thin tube (catheter) into the brain or heart to treat cerebral and myocardial infarctions, as well as for vascular disease examinations and procedures. Conventionally, angiography systems are operated using a touch panel and specialized control levers, which requires an operator to look away from the affected area and image monitor in order to operate the system. If both hands were busy, it required asking other healthcare personnel to perform operations.

SMART Voice recognizes either Japanese or English commands. It can perform 13 types^*1 of commonly used functions, such as StentView (stent enhancement), fluoroscopic image capture, and image operation functions, by simply speaking into a microphone mounted to the monitor support. Furthermore, a GPU^*2 can be used to help ensure smooth examination and procedure with faster responsiveness for everything from voice recognition to function execution. Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare workstyle reform for doctors^*3 enacted in April 2024 requires shortening working hours. The SMART Voice function will shorten physician labor hours by expanding the scope of work that can be performed by one person and increasing examination efficiency.

Shimadzu intends to offer the function on an annual subscription basis from December 2024 in an effort to contribute to advancements in minimally invasive procedures by continuously improving the user-friendliness of angiography systems.

• *1 The C-arm, catheterization table, and other hardware cannot be operated by voice.
• *2 GPU is an acronym for graphics processing unit, which is a computer chip mainly used to process a large amount of images and other data more quickly.
• *3 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Workstyle Reform for Doctors” webpage

Models Scheduled to Include SMART Voice
Trinias series with SCORE Opera angiography systems

• •SMART Voice will be added as function included in the SCORE Link subscription service (annual contract).
• • A set of microphones for voice recognition is sold separately.
• • Trinias and SCORE are trademarks of Shimadzu Corporation.