AngioDynamics Supports Jacobi Hospital Study Investigating CT Pulmonary Angiography Radiomics in Pulmonary Embolism
AngioDynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGO), a medical technology company focused on restoring blood flow within the vascular system, expanding cancer treatment options and improving patient quality of life, has announced that a research team from Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, New York, has been selected to receive an award through the ALPHA-PE Research Fund.
The investigator-led study, led by Dr. Jonathan Alis, Dr. Seth I. Sokol and their colleagues at Jacobi Hospital, will investigate whether advanced analysis of CT pulmonary angiography images can provide information about thrombus biology, predict the success of mechanical thrombectomy and help identify longer-term outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).
The research is being supported through the ALPHA-PE Research Fund, an initiative launched by AngioDynamics in partnership with The PERT Consortium®. The program is designed to support independent, physician-led research addressing important evidence gaps in pulmonary embolism diagnosis, treatment and patient management.
The Jacobi Hospital study will focus on radiomics, an analytical approach that extracts quantitative features from medical images. Researchers will evaluate whether these features can provide information beyond the conventional visual assessment of CT pulmonary angiography and potentially reveal characteristics of blood clots that may be relevant to treatment decisions.
Pulmonary embolism remains an important clinical challenge, particularly when physicians must determine which patients may benefit from intervention and which treatment approach is most appropriate. Mechanical thrombectomy has become an important treatment option for selected patients with significant pulmonary embolism, but complete removal or recanalization of an obstructed vessel is not always achieved.
The investigators hope their study will help determine whether information already contained within routine CT pulmonary angiography images can be used to better characterize thrombi and anticipate how they may respond to mechanical thrombectomy.
Investigating the Biology of Pulmonary Embolism Through Imaging
Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs, most commonly after a clot forms elsewhere in the venous system and travels to the pulmonary arteries. Depending on the size and location of the embolus and the patient’s underlying condition, PE can range from a relatively stable event to a potentially life-threatening cardiovascular emergency.
CT pulmonary angiography is widely used to diagnose and assess pulmonary embolism. The imaging technique allows clinicians to visualize the pulmonary arteries and identify areas of obstruction.
However, conventional interpretation of CT pulmonary angiography primarily focuses on identifying the presence, location and extent of embolic material. The Jacobi Hospital investigators are examining whether the images can provide additional information about the biological characteristics of the thrombus.
The composition of a blood clot can vary. Differences in clot organization and composition may influence how a thrombus behaves and how readily it can be removed using mechanical thrombectomy. Understanding those differences before an intervention could potentially provide clinicians with additional information when considering treatment strategies.
Radiomics is being investigated as a potential method for extracting this additional information. Rather than relying solely on a clinician’s visual interpretation of an image, radiomic analysis uses computational techniques to quantify characteristics within medical images that may not be readily apparent through routine examination.
The Jacobi study will assess whether specific radiomic features correlate with thrombus biology and whether those features can be associated with procedural success and longer-term outcomes.
Focus on Mechanical Thrombectomy
Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove blood clots from blood vessels. In pulmonary embolism, catheter-based thrombectomy systems can be used to access the pulmonary arteries and remove or reduce obstructing thrombus.
The approach has become part of the treatment landscape for selected patients with significant pulmonary embolism. However, procedural outcomes can vary, and complete recanalization is not necessarily achieved in every case.
One of the questions underlying the Jacobi Hospital research is whether characteristics visible through CT pulmonary angiography can help predict how a clot will respond to mechanical thrombectomy.
If particular imaging biomarkers are associated with procedural success or failure, such information could potentially be incorporated into treatment planning. Physicians could have another source of information when evaluating patients and determining whether an intervention is appropriate.
The research is exploratory and is intended to generate evidence rather than establish a clinical decision-making tool at this stage. Any potential application of radiomic biomarkers would require appropriate validation in subsequent research before they could be incorporated into routine clinical practice.
The study’s investigators are therefore seeking to establish whether measurable imaging characteristics have meaningful relationships with thrombus biology, thrombectomy outcomes and longer-term clinical trajectories.
Potential for More Individualized PE Treatment
A major objective of the research is to contribute to more individualized treatment planning for patients with pulmonary embolism.
PE patients can present with different clot burdens, underlying medical conditions, levels of hemodynamic risk and expected responses to therapy. As treatment options expand, clinicians increasingly need information that can help distinguish among patients and determine the most appropriate intervention.
Currently, physicians have access to clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and imaging results when making treatment decisions. The addition of validated imaging biomarkers could potentially provide another layer of information.
Dr. Seth I. Sokol, one of the study investigators, said CT pulmonary angiography may contain information that is not fully utilized in current PE assessment.
“CT pulmonary angiography is already central to the diagnosis and assessment of pulmonary embolism, but there is potentially much more information within those images than we are using today,” Sokol said.
He explained that the study will investigate whether radiomic features can help researchers understand clot biology and predict response to mechanical thrombectomy.
“Our goal is to determine whether radiomic features can help us better understand the biology of a patient’s clot and predict how it will respond to mechanical thrombectomy,” he said.
According to Sokol, if the findings are validated, radiomic analysis could eventually provide physicians with another tool to support treatment decisions and a more individualized approach to PE management.
ALPHA-PE Research Fund Supports Investigator-Led Research
The Jacobi Hospital study was selected through the ALPHA-PE Research Fund, which AngioDynamics established in partnership with The PERT Consortium® to support independent research addressing important questions in pulmonary embolism care.
The competitive program provides research awards ranging from $50,000 to $750,000 for projects conducted over periods of one to three years. Supported research can focus on patient outcomes, workflow optimization and novel therapeutic approaches with potential relevance to real-world PE care.
By supporting investigator-led studies, the program is designed to enable clinicians and researchers to investigate questions arising directly from patient care and clinical practice.
For AngioDynamics, the research program provides a mechanism for working with the clinical community to support evidence generation in an area relevant to the company’s cardiovascular technology activities.
Laura Piccinini, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cardiovascular & International at AngioDynamics, said the selection of the Jacobi Hospital proposal reflects the objectives of the research fund.
“The selection of this proposal from Dr. Alis, Dr. Sokol and the team at Jacobi Hospital reflects the purpose of the ALPHA-PE Research Fund: supporting rigorous, physician-led research that can help close evidence gaps in pulmonary embolism care,” Piccinini said.
She added that the program reinforces AngioDynamics’ commitment to collaborating with clinicians, investing in evidence generation and supporting research that could help physicians improve care for patients with PE.
PERT Consortium Emphasizes Independent Research
The PERT Consortium® is also supporting the study as part of its broader mission to advance pulmonary embolism care and promote research into the diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
Amir Darki, MD, Co-Chair of the National PERT Research Consortium, said independent investigator-driven research plays an important role in strengthening the evidence base for pulmonary embolism.
“The PERT Consortium® is pleased to support this proposal from Dr. Alis, Dr. Sokol and their team at Jacobi Hospital through the ALPHA-PE Research Fund,” Darki said.
He described the study as addressing an important clinical question and said it could provide insights relevant to physicians, patients and the broader PE community.
The PERT Consortium promotes the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) model, which brings together specialists from multiple disciplines to coordinate the evaluation and management of patients with pulmonary embolism.
Such multidisciplinary approaches can be particularly relevant for patients with complex or severe PE, where treatment decisions may involve specialists in cardiology, pulmonology, critical care, interventional radiology, vascular medicine and other fields.
The Consortium also supports scientific research and educational initiatives for healthcare professionals and the public.
Moving Beyond Conventional Image Interpretation
The research at Jacobi Hospital reflects a broader trend toward extracting additional clinical information from medical imaging.
Advances in computational imaging and data analysis have created opportunities to analyze characteristics of images that may not be apparent through conventional visual interpretation. Radiomics is one such approach, converting imaging features into quantitative data that can be evaluated in relation to clinical outcomes.
In pulmonary embolism, this could potentially allow researchers to investigate whether specific characteristics of a thrombus are associated with its composition, organization or response to treatment.
The study could also help determine whether imaging-based information can contribute to predicting longer-term outcomes. Such information may eventually support more refined approaches to risk assessment and follow-up.
However, establishing clinical utility requires more than identifying correlations. Imaging biomarkers must undergo rigorous validation, reproducibility testing and evaluation in appropriate patient populations. Researchers must also determine whether incorporating such information into treatment decisions actually improves outcomes.
The Jacobi study represents an important research step in this process by examining potential associations between CT pulmonary angiography radiomics, thrombus biology, thrombectomy success and longer-term outcomes.
Addressing Evidence Gaps in Pulmonary Embolism Care
Although pulmonary embolism management has evolved considerably, important evidence gaps remain. Physicians continue to evaluate which patients are most likely to benefit from catheter-based interventions, how procedural success can be optimized and which characteristics may predict treatment response.
Mechanical thrombectomy can provide a means of removing thrombus without systemic thrombolytic therapy in appropriately selected patients, but outcomes may differ depending on clot characteristics and patient factors.
Research that improves understanding of thrombus biology could therefore contribute to the development of more informed treatment strategies.
The ALPHA-PE Research Fund’s focus on independent research provides a platform for investigators to explore these questions in real-world clinical settings. The Jacobi Hospital project adds an imaging-focused approach to this research effort.
If the study identifies reproducible radiomic features associated with thrombus characteristics or treatment outcomes, the findings could provide a foundation for future prospective studies designed to validate those biomarkers.
The ultimate goal would be to determine whether imaging-derived information can become clinically useful rather than simply statistically associated with outcomes.
Potential Impact on Future PE Treatment Strategies
The research could have implications beyond the immediate question of thrombectomy success. A better understanding of thrombus characteristics may help physicians evaluate patients earlier in the treatment pathway and potentially identify individuals who may require more aggressive intervention.
It could also contribute to research into procedural planning, patient selection and post-treatment monitoring.
However, these potential applications remain investigational. The current study is intended to generate evidence about whether radiomic characteristics can provide clinically meaningful information. Additional studies would be needed before any imaging biomarkers could be considered validated tools for routine treatment decisions.
The project nevertheless addresses a practical question in modern PE care: whether diagnostic images can provide more detailed information about the disease than is currently being used.
Advancing Collaborative Research in PE
The collaboration among AngioDynamics, The PERT Consortium and the Jacobi Hospital investigators demonstrates the role of industry-supported independent research in exploring unresolved clinical questions.
Under the ALPHA-PE Research Fund, investigators can pursue studies focused on patient outcomes, clinical workflows and therapeutic approaches. The Jacobi Hospital project specifically targets the relationship between imaging, thrombus biology and intervention outcomes.
For AngioDynamics, supporting the study is part of a broader effort to engage with physicians and strengthen evidence generation in pulmonary embolism. For the investigators, the award provides support for a research program aimed at understanding whether advanced CT analysis can improve knowledge of thrombus behavior.
The findings could contribute to the broader scientific literature surrounding pulmonary embolism, mechanical thrombectomy and medical imaging.
As the study progresses, researchers will evaluate the relationship between CT pulmonary angiography radiomic characteristics and clinical outcomes. The results will help determine whether these imaging biomarkers warrant further investigation and validation.
For now, the award marks the beginning of a research effort focused on extracting additional information from an imaging modality already central to pulmonary embolism diagnosis. By investigating thrombus biology, procedural success and long-term outcomes together, the Jacobi Hospital team aims to determine whether radiomics can contribute to a more detailed and individualized understanding of PE.
The study underscores the continuing need for evidence-based approaches to pulmonary embolism care and highlights the potential of advanced imaging analysis to complement existing clinical assessment. If validated through future research, such approaches could eventually provide physicians with additional information when evaluating patients and selecting treatment strategies.
About AngioDynamics, Inc.
AngioDynamics is a leading and transformative medical technology company focused on restoring healthy blood flow in the body’s vascular system, expanding cancer treatment options and improving patient quality of life.
The Company’s innovative technologies and devices are chosen by talented physicians in fast-growing healthcare markets to treat unmet patient needs. For more information, visit www.angiodynamics.com and www.angiodynamics.com/about-us/risk-information/.
About The PERT Consortium®
The purpose of The PERT Consortium® is to serve the general public by undertaking activities to advance the status of PE care and promote research in the treatment of pulmonary embolism. Specifically, the Consortium’s purpose is to:
- Promote the adoption of the PERT model in healthcare institutions across the United States to ensure the prompt diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism.
- Expand the current body of scientific literature on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism through the funding of scientific endeavors.
- Educate the general public and healthcare professionals regarding pulmonary embolism diagnosis, treatment, and care.
By focusing solely on the entity of pulmonary embolism – its etiology, pathophysiology, prevention, management approach, outcomes of specific treatments, and follow-up pathways – it is the intention of the Consortium to increase awareness of treatment options available to patients with PE, to reduce its incidence worldwide, to improve health outcomes, and to positively influence the impact of this terrible disease. Visit pertconsortium.org to learn about current initiatives, programs, and how to get involved.