DETROIT — Corazon Imaging, a mobile healthcare  startup, has launched, offering an advanced, proactive and non-invasive outpatient technology for more accurately diagnosing heart disease. Corazon Imaging will transform Michigan’s healthcare field by vastly increasing accessibility to lifesaving Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) technology, including Fractional Flow Reserve – Computed Tomography (FFR-CT), a non-invasive procedure which measures the severity and location of obstructions in coronary arteries.

Corazon Imaging will bring FFR-CT into an outpatient setting and is poised to make a significant impact on heart disease diagnosis and treatment options in Michigan. The Corazon Imaging team is committed to performing 10,000 CCTA scans annually — a significant increase statewide. By comparison, only 1,200 FFR-CT procedures were performed in Michigan in 2021, even fewer were performed in an outpatient setting and the technology is only available at a handful of hospitals across the state.

Corazon Imaging in Southfield expands heart disease technology across Michigan

The first Metro Detroit locations launch in Dearborn and Trenton with a goal of 30 locations by 2024, expanding accessibility to FFR-CT technology across the state

The first two locations are now open in Trenton at 1676 Fort Street and Dearborn at 1213 Mason St., with the goal to open 30 sites across the state by 2024. Founder Josh Katke made the announcement.

“Corazon Imaging has an ambitious vision: To bring world-class, affordable cardiac imaging to all Michiganders,” Katke said. “FFR-CT usage is limited in Michigan, and we are making this technology accessible statewide, giving patients and providers in a wholly underserved state the resources needed to address heart disease and reduce healthcare costs. We’re determined to expand access to FFR-CT and CCTA to improve patient outcomes.”

Corazon Imaging’s testing program is overseen by its director of cardiac imaging, John Rumberger, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, MSCCT, one of the world’s top cardiologists and a leading authority on CCTA.

“CCTAs are a safe, cost-effective, reliable and more accurate alternative to commonly used cardiac imaging methods,” Rumberger said. “Unlike other cardiac testing options, this diagnostic pathway has a less than 1 percent likelihood of missing heart disease. Corazon Imaging has the technology to identify heart disease earlier and more accurately than conventional imaging, help prevent a patient’s first heart attack and reduce cardiac mortality.”

Corazon Imaging will launch a community outreach program, working with neighborhood organizations to offer free calcium scoring screenings and education. The first community events will take place this summer with free screenings for police, firefighters and municipal workers from the city of Dearborn.

“We are collaborating with community partners to leverage our technology and create opportunities for Michiganders to learn more about their own heart health, which will help them make better decisions about their health care and potentially save lives,” said Abir  Mehanna, MHSA,  chief operating officer at Corazon Imaging.

Additionally, Corazon Imaging offers diagnostic cardiac screenings, including calcium score screenings, which is a simple test that detects calcium deposits in coronary arteries—a key indicator of heart health. A higher score suggests a significant narrowing in the arteries and a higher risk of a future coronary event.

Corazon Imaging will operate four mobile routes across the state in the next 18 months, making the technology more accessible for patients, concentrating on areas in the state with the highest percentages of heart disease. Once fully scaled, Corazon Imaging will perform 150-200 individual scans per week.

To learn more about Corazon Imaging’s vision and FFR-CT, visit https://corazonimaging.com/