Elucid Showcases Next-Generation AI Innovations at SCCT 2026 to Advance Personalized Cardiovascular Care
Elucid, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cardiovascular imaging, has announced its most significant participation to date at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) Annual Scientific Meeting 2026, where the company will introduce a new generation of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) technologies designed to support more personalized diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Taking place from July 9–12, 2026, at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, California, the conference will serve as the platform for Elucid to unveil several major innovations, including plaque-based fractional flow reserve computed tomography (FFR-CT), advanced stenosis quantification capabilities, and a redesigned user interface that delivers transparent and efficient clinical insights.
The company will also present new scientific research and clinical case studies highlighting its long-term vision for what it describes as CCTA 3.0—an evolution of coronary CT imaging that integrates anatomical, biological and physiological information to enable highly personalized cardiovascular care.
Advancing the Next Generation of Cardiac Imaging
Coronary artery disease remains one of the world’s leading causes of death, making accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment increasingly important.
Traditionally, clinicians have relied heavily on anatomical imaging to identify narrowed coronary arteries and determine whether intervention is necessary. While this approach has significantly improved patient care, it often provides only part of the clinical picture.
Elucid believes the future of cardiovascular medicine lies in combining detailed anatomical imaging with advanced biological and physiological analysis, allowing physicians to better understand not only where disease exists but also how individual plaque behaves and how likely it is to cause future cardiac events.
Through artificial intelligence and advanced image analysis, the company aims to provide clinicians with more comprehensive information that supports earlier intervention and more individualized treatment decisions.
Introducing the Vision of CCTA 3.0
A central theme of Elucid’s presentation at SCCT 2026 is its concept of CCTA 3.0, representing the next stage in coronary CT angiography.
Rather than focusing exclusively on detecting arterial narrowing, CCTA 3.0 emphasizes understanding the biological characteristics of coronary plaque and the physiological impact of disease throughout the coronary circulation.
The approach integrates multiple layers of information, including:
- Coronary artery anatomy
- Plaque composition
- Plaque burden
- Blood flow physiology
- Functional significance of lesions
- Patient-specific cardiovascular risk
By combining these factors into a single imaging workflow, physicians may gain a more complete understanding of disease progression and individualized cardiovascular risk.
Elucid believes this integrated strategy has the potential to transform how coronary artery disease is diagnosed, monitored and treated.
Expanding AI-Powered Imaging Capabilities
At SCCT 2026, Elucid plans to introduce several new technologies that build upon its AI-powered imaging platform.
Among the most anticipated innovations is plaque-based fractional flow reserve computed tomography (FFR-CT).
Fractional Flow Reserve is widely recognized as an important measurement used to determine whether narrowed coronary arteries significantly reduce blood flow to the heart muscle.
Traditional FFR measurements require invasive cardiac catheterization.
CT-derived FFR offers a non-invasive alternative by estimating blood flow directly from coronary CT images.
Elucid’s newest approach incorporates detailed plaque analysis into FFR estimation, providing additional physiological context beyond simple anatomical narrowing.
According to the company, this creates a more biologically informed assessment of coronary artery disease.
Deep Learning Models Improve Functional Assessment
The company’s plaque-based FFR-CT solution utilizes deep learning algorithms trained to analyze plaque amount and composition alongside coronary anatomy.
Because plaque characteristics influence how blood flows through coronary arteries, Elucid’s AI models estimate functional blood flow reductions using detailed plaque information rather than relying solely on vessel narrowing.
This bio-integrated methodology allows clinicians to continuously estimate FFR values throughout the entire coronary artery tree.
Rather than generating isolated measurements, physicians receive continuous physiological information along each vessel, potentially improving identification of clinically significant lesions.
The company states that its FFR-CT technology has been validated against invasive FFR measurements, which remain the current clinical reference standard for evaluating coronary blood flow.
The technology is also currently undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Advanced Plaque Characterization
Plaque assessment has become an increasingly important aspect of cardiovascular imaging.
Not all plaque carries the same level of risk.
Some plaques remain relatively stable for years, while others possess biological characteristics that make them more likely to rupture and trigger heart attacks.
Elucid’s AI platform focuses on identifying and quantifying these plaque characteristics using advanced image analysis.
Its technology measures plaque composition, volume and distribution with high levels of precision, enabling physicians to better understand disease severity beyond conventional stenosis measurements.
This detailed characterization supports more individualized cardiovascular risk assessment.
Enhanced Stenosis Quantification
In addition to plaque analysis, Elucid will introduce enhanced stenosis quantification capabilities.
Stenosis refers to narrowing of coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup.
Accurate measurement of stenosis remains a critical component of coronary artery disease diagnosis.
The company’s new AI algorithms are designed to provide highly reproducible and transparent assessments of arterial narrowing while integrating those findings with plaque biology and functional blood flow analysis.
Rather than viewing stenosis as an isolated measurement, clinicians can evaluate it within the broader context of overall coronary disease.
Redesigned Clinical User Interface
Another major announcement involves a completely redesigned clinical user interface.
Healthcare providers increasingly require software platforms that present complex imaging data in an intuitive and efficient manner.
Elucid’s updated interface aims to simplify interpretation by organizing anatomical, biological and physiological information into a unified clinical workflow.
The interface is designed to improve:
- Visualization of coronary arteries
- Plaque assessment
- Blood flow analysis
- Clinical reporting
- Workflow efficiency
- Transparency of AI-generated results
The company emphasizes that physicians should understand how AI reaches its conclusions rather than receiving unexplained automated outputs.
Transparency remains a major focus of the platform’s design.
Moving Toward Personalized Cardiovascular Care
Elucid believes cardiovascular medicine is entering an important period of transformation.
According to company leadership, traditional treatment guidelines have largely been based on population-level risk factors.
While effective for many patients, these approaches may not fully account for the biological differences between individuals.
Personalized medicine seeks to tailor diagnosis and treatment according to each patient’s unique disease characteristics.
Elucid argues that coronary CT imaging now possesses sufficient technological maturity to support this individualized approach.
By integrating anatomy, plaque biology and physiology into one imaging examination, clinicians may be able to develop treatment strategies that are more closely aligned with each patient’s actual disease behavior.
Learning from Advances in Oncology
Elucid CEO Kelly Huang, PhD, compared the evolution occurring in cardiovascular medicine to the transformation previously seen in oncology.
Cancer care has gradually shifted away from treatment decisions based solely on tumor size toward precision medicine that incorporates genetic, molecular and biological characteristics.
This transition has enabled physicians to select therapies better matched to individual patients.
Huang believes cardiovascular medicine is approaching a similar turning point.
Rather than relying primarily on anatomical measurements such as artery narrowing, clinicians are beginning to incorporate biological and physiological information that provides deeper insight into disease activity.
Elucid’s long-term vision is to help accelerate this transition through AI-powered coronary CT analysis.
Scientific Evidence at SCCT 2026
During the conference, Elucid will present multiple scientific studies and clinical case examples supporting its imaging platform.
These presentations are expected to demonstrate the performance of the company’s AI algorithms across several important clinical applications.
Among the findings to be highlighted are:
- Accurate plaque composition analysis
- Reproducible plaque quantification
- Advanced stenosis measurement
- Plaque-derived FFR assessment
- Improved clinical workflow
- Enhanced transparency of AI outputs
The company believes these studies reinforce the scientific foundation supporting CCTA 3.0.
Measuring Risk at the Lesion Level
One important concept emphasized by Elucid involves evaluating cardiovascular risk at the level of individual coronary lesions.
Traditional risk assessment often focuses on overall patient characteristics or generalized coronary artery disease.
However, many heart attacks originate from specific vulnerable plaques rather than overall plaque burden alone.
By identifying high-risk lesions individually, physicians may gain a more precise understanding of where future cardiovascular events are most likely to occur.
Elucid’s AI platform combines lesion-specific analysis with vessel-level plaque assessment to create a more comprehensive evaluation of patient risk.
This layered assessment may support more targeted treatment decisions.
Beyond the Coronary Arteries
In addition to coronary imaging, Elucid reports that its plaque analysis technology has also been validated for use in the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
Carotid artery disease represents another major cause of stroke and other cardiovascular complications.
The ability to analyze plaque characteristics across multiple vascular territories may broaden future clinical applications for the company’s AI platform.
Improving Physician Workflow
Beyond diagnostic accuracy, healthcare organizations increasingly seek technologies that improve clinical efficiency.
Advanced imaging often generates large volumes of data requiring significant physician interpretation.
Elucid’s AI-powered software is designed to automate complex image analysis while maintaining transparency and allowing clinicians to review each finding.
By reducing manual analysis and organizing information into clinically meaningful reports, the platform aims to support faster decision-making without compromising diagnostic confidence.
As cardiovascular disease continues to affect millions of people worldwide, demand for more accurate, personalized and efficient diagnostic technologies continues to grow.
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool in helping clinicians interpret complex imaging studies while identifying subtle disease characteristics that may not be immediately apparent through traditional analysis.
Through its expanded presence at SCCT 2026, Elucid is showcasing a vision in which coronary CT angiography evolves beyond simple anatomical imaging into a comprehensive platform that integrates anatomy, plaque biology and cardiovascular physiology.
The company’s CCTA 3.0 strategy reflects a broader shift toward precision medicine, where treatment decisions are increasingly guided by individualized biological information rather than generalized population-based guidelines.
By introducing next-generation plaque analysis, AI-powered FFR-CT, advanced stenosis quantification and a transparent clinical workflow, Elucid aims to equip physicians with more detailed insights that support earlier diagnosis, improved risk assessment and more personalized care for patients living with coronary artery disease.
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