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16 Dec 2025
US startup combines optical coherence tomography with near-infrared spectroscopy to aid coronary artery interventions.
European technology giant Philips is set to add a new optical imaging modality to its already comprehensive suite of medical equipment, with the acquisition of the Bedford, Massachusetts, company SpectraWAVE.
Established in 2017 to commercialize research into a dual-mode cardiovascular imaging technique pioneered by Guillermo Tearney and colleagues at Harvard's Wellman Center for Photomedicine, the company now employs 70 people.
After raising $16 million in 2019 and $13.2 million of “series A-2” financing in February 2021, SpectraWAVE closed a $50 million series B effort led by healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson in September 2024. The acquisition price agreed with Philips has not been disclosed.
SpectraWAVE CEO Eman Namati said in a joint release from the two companies: “Philips shares our deep conviction that the convergence of intravascular imaging, coronary physiology, and AI can fundamentally improve how every patient with coronary disease is treated.”
Dual-mode imaging
In 2023, SpectraWAVE received US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market approval for its “HyperVue” platform, which combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to aid surgical treatment of coronary artery disease, such as stent placement.
While OCT is now commonly used by surgeons, on its own that imaging technique is not able to identify biomolecules that can provide more detailed information about a patient’s disease.
The addition of spectral data acquired simultaneously from NIRS means that both compositional data and microstructural information can be captured, and rapidly analyzed using automated AI techniques.
Namati adds that the Philips partnership will allow SpectraWAVE to integrate and scale both the HyperVue and “X1-FFR” angiogram products into what he called “the world’s leading image-guided therapy ecosystem”.
HyperVue has its roots in a proof-of-concept device developed more than a decade ago, in which a single high-speed wavelength-swept source supplied light for both OCT and NIRS modalities.
It worked by illuminating tissue through a singlemode fiber and collecting the back-scattered OCT light with the same fiber. A separate collection fiber close by and placed within the catheter was used to detect the NIRS signal.
Image-guided therapy
Tearney co-authored a 2013 Optics Express paper describing the successful application of the principle to ex vivo human coronary arteries, to identify the build up of different types of arterial plaque.
He was also involved in a 2016 clinical trial that investigated in vivo use of the technique, showing that image data could be obtained safely from locations on an artery wall, and identify a biomarker associated with a type of arterial plaque known to present a higher risk of coronary events.
Commenting on the acquisition Philips CEO Roy Jakobs said: “We are doubling down on image-guided therapy and expanding our portfolio in the coronary intervention segment with the addition of SpectraWAVE’s AI-powered innovations in high-definition intravascular imaging and angio-based physiological assessment, enabling us to deliver better care for more people.”
Bert van Meurs, who leads the firm’s image-guided therapy business, added: “With today’s announcement we continue to expand the role of minimally invasive image-guided therapy procedures, which are associated with better patient outcomes and improved cost-effectiveness.
“The acquisition of SpectraWAVE’s next-generation technologies for coronary intravascular imaging and physiological assessment mark a significant step in expanding our portfolio with breakthrough, AI-powered technologies that help clinicians decide, guide, treat, and confirm treatment in one setting.”
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