Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is the most common form of heart surgery, with approximately 400,000 procedures performed annually in the United States and over 750,000 worldwide. Yet despite the prevalence and effectiveness of the procedure in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), there has not been a way to routinely assess bypass graft quality and functionality during the course of surgery.

Novadaq^® Technologies, a Canadian-based medical device company specializing in the development and marketing of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for human vascular, ophthalmic, and neurologic diseases and conditions, has employed a proprietary imaging technology platform to address this unmet need in cardiac operating rooms.

The roots of Novadaq can be traced back the National Research Council of Canada Institute for Biodiagnostics (NRC-IBD) where NRC-IBD scientists spent three years developing the intra-operative imaging technique upon which the Novadaq technology is based. Novadaq’s technology platform leverages the integration of three technologies: laser, high-speed imaging, and a fluorescing agent. The integration of these technologies provides Novadaq with the capability to visualize natural blood flow in real-time, in vessels as small as five microns in diameter, at a speed of up to 30 frames per second. The technology produces superior, real-time images through a simple and safe two-minute process, and has the potential to increase procedural efficiencies and improve outcomes and procedural safety.

With this platform at its core, Novadaq has successfully developed and is globally commercializing the SPY^® Imaging System.