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The Heart Center at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg has become the first facility in the world to put a new type of angiography system into clinical use / High-quality 2D and 3D imaging powered by AI, more precise planning, and lower radiation

Patients with complex coronary artery or heart valve conditions will soon benefit from a globally unique angiography system at the Heart Center of the Medical Center – University of Freiburg. The Artis Icono.vision system from Siemens Healthineers was inaugurated on March 24, 2026, in Bad Krozingen. It helps physicians visualize blood vessels and the heart in real time in two and three dimensions during a procedure, guide instruments with greater precision, and plan treatments more accurately. Existing computed tomography images can also be integrated into the procedure planning. This enables more precise and less invasive treatment, better monitoring during the procedure, and reduced radiation exposure.

Widespread Use in Clinical Care and Research

“For our patients, the new system means one thing above all else: we can tailor procedures even more precisely to their individual situation,” says Prof. Dr. Dirk Westermann, Medical Director of the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg. “Because we combine different forms of imaging directly during the procedure, we receive important information exactly when we need it for treatment.”

AI-assisted imaging and new possibilities for procedure planning

Among the system’s special features is AI-assisted imaging. It compensates for motion blur caused by the heartbeat, pulsating vessels, or breathing. This improves image quality while simultaneously reducing the need for contrast agents and radiation. Additionally, physicians can precisely assess the condition of the vessels and monitor the heart via ultrasound during the procedure. 

Furthermore, the concept of CT-guided stent implantation is now possible. In this process, images of the coronary arteries from a previously performed computed tomography scan are directly incorporated into the planning. “This allows us to determine even more precisely where patients need a stent and how we should prepare the procedure on an individual basis,” says Westermann. 

“With the new system, we can integrate modern imaging, clinical care, and technological advancement even more closely, particularly thanks to artificial intelligence,” says Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center – University of Freiburg. “The fact that this model is being used for the first time worldwide at the Heart Center of the Medical Center – University of Freiburg underscores our ‘Industry-on-Campus’ concept, the close collaboration with Siemens Healthineers, and the high level of expertise at this location.”

In addition to its use in clinical care, the system will also be utilized in research projects. Together with Siemens Healthineers, new diagnostic algorithms and interventional procedures are to be further developed.

“Such advances arise where clinical experience and technical development work closely together,” says Doris Pommi, Head of Cardiovascular Care at Siemens Healthineers. “The fact that this system was first installed at the Heart Center of the Medical Center – University of Freiburg is a testament to this long-standing partnership.” The University Heart Center has been a global reference center for cardiology at Siemens Healthineers since 2022. The commissioning of the system is part of a close research and development collaboration.

Image 1: Joy among all involved: The team led by Prof. Dr. Dirk Westermann (4th from right) of the University Heart Center and Doris Pommi (5th from right) of Siemens Healthineers inaugurated the angiography system, shown on the left in the image

Image 2: The angiography system can visualize blood vessels even more precisely than before, enables 2D and 3D imaging, and can even import previously acquired CT scans.

Image source: Medical Center – University of Freiburg