SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 9, 2026 -- Philips has put its VeriSight Pro 3D intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) technology in front of a wider audience through a feature on the BBC's technology program Tech Now, filmed during a live structural heart procedure in Copenhagen. The technology places a miniature ultrasound probe on the tip of a catheter, threading it through a vein into the heart to deliver real-time three-dimensional images of anatomy, valves, and treatment devices. For interventional teams, it offers an alternative to passing a larger probe down the patient's esophagus under general anaesthesia. The result is a more precise and less invasive route to treating structural heart disease.
VeriSight Pro Puts a 3D Ultrasound Probe Inside the Heart
VeriSight Pro works by mounting a miniaturized ultrasound probe on the tip of a 9-millimeter catheter. Physicians insert it through a vein and guide it into the heart, where it produces live three-dimensional views from inside the chamber itself. That vantage point lets them see cardiac anatomy and the devices they are placing as the procedure unfolds. Traditional imaging often depends on a larger probe passed through the esophagus, usually under general anaesthesia.
"Structural heart procedures are among the most demanding interventions in medicine, requiring physicians to navigate devices through a constantly moving heart while making millimeter-precise decisions in real time. Advanced imaging technologies such as VeriSight Pro help clinicians see more clearly, navigate more confidently, and bring minimally invasive treatment options to more patients," explained Dr. Atul Gupta, Chief Medical Officer, Diagnosis & Treatment at Philips.
Copenhagen Procedure Shows Image Guidance in Practice
The BBC segment was filmed at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, one of the world's leading cardiac centers. Reporter Adrienne Murphy observed a structural heart procedure guided by real-time imaging from inside the heart. Professor Dr. Ole De Backer, an interventional cardiologist at the hospital, performed the case and described what the added imaging makes possible.
"We want to have a perfect result with complete closure, no leakage. That's what we can obtain with this additional imaging," said Professor Dr. Ole De Backer.
Awake Patients Replace General Anaesthesia in Many Cases
One detail stood out during filming: the patient stayed awake throughout. Murphy found the moment remarkable, noting that the clinical team spoke with the patient during the operation. Because the imaging comes from inside the heart rather than down the esophagus, many of these procedures no longer require general anaesthesia. That shifts the experience for patients and can simplify the workflow around each case.
Europe Faces a Growing Structural Heart Disease Burden
Demand for these procedures is climbing. Gupta noted that an estimated 14 million people in Europe live with cardiac valvular disease, a figure expected to double over the next 15 years as populations age. For much of that history, patients faced two options: open heart surgery or living with the condition. He pointed to the tricuspid valve as a stark example, where only about 1% of people with tricuspid disease have received treatment, earning it the nickname the "forgotten valve."
Wider Access Hinges on Efficient, Image-Guided Workflows
Minimally invasive, image-guided therapy now lets physicians perform mitral and tricuspid repair and left atrial appendage occlusion through incisions only a few millimeters wide. The payoff is faster procedures, often without general anaesthesia, and quicker recovery. Philips positions VeriSight Pro as part of a broader effort to treat more patients with greater efficiency and consistency, working alongside its Azurion image-guidance platform. The goal is to widen access to therapies for patients who once had few choices.
Clinical and procurement teams can review the VeriSight Pro 3D ICE catheter specifications on the official Philips product page at Philips USA.