King’s College rolls out AI to enhance cardiac care
- 11 May 2026
- King’s College Hospital has introduced an AI-powered imaging system that provides real-time, high-resolution views inside coronary arteries during angioplasty
- It helps cardiologists identify plaque build-up and assess blood flow, increasing accuracy during stent procedures
- The software was rolled out at King’s in April 2026, with around 500 patients a year expected to benefit
AI-enabled software designed to help cardiologists make faster and more precise decisions during angioplasty procedures has been introduced at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Ultreon 3.0, developed by Abbott Vascular, is an imaging technology that uses advanced AI techniques during an angioplasty to provide detailed images directly from within a coronary artery disease patient’s blood vessel, allowing cardiologists to identify plaque build-up that may increase risk of blood clots.
The software, which was rolled out to patients at the trust in April 2026, allows clinicians to assess how blood is flowing through a patient’s blood vessels, increasing accuracy and precision during coronary stent procedures.
Dr Nilesh Pareek, consultant interventional cardiologist at King’s College Hospital, said: “Over recent years, we have seen huge strides in the development of AI technology, helping transform cardiac care for patients and improve efficiency, and we’re extremely proud to be leading the way in this field.
“Up to 500 patients at King’s are expected to benefit from this procedure every year, and this latest step forward enables us to improve our decision making and selection of diseased arteries for stenting procedures.
“By supporting the training of other sites across the UK in this new technology, we hope to help make sure as many patients as possible can benefit from this latest AI tool.”
A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen the main blood vessels supplying the heart, which have become blocked or narrowed.
Most angioplasty procedures involve inserting a short wire mesh tube, called a stent, into the artery during the procedure. The stent is left in place permanently to allow blood to flow more freely.
This latest software is currently used in a small number of major heart centres worldwide. Dr Pareek and his team are also leading the training of other sites across the UK for this software.
In August Digital Health reported how the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has conditionally recommended six digital platforms for use in the NHS, which will enable people with heart disease to complete their recovery sessions at home.
Draft guidance published on 19 August 2025 recommends digital technologies to support cardiac rehabilitation for adults with cardiovascular disease, which can be used during a three-year evidence generation period while more data is collected about their long-term effectiveness.
The platforms recommended are: Activate Your Heart, D REACH-HF, Digital Heart Manual, Gro Health HeartBuddy, KiActiv, and myHEART.
