Dorset County Hospital has become the first hospital in the country to start using new cardiology equipment thanks to a kind hearted donation.

The new Optical Frequency Domain Imaging (OFDI) system was unveiled at the Dorchester hospital’s cardiac centre after a donation of £70,000 from the Dorset Health Trust.

The new OFDI system, which was unveiled at a special launch event at the hospital, uses infrared light to look inside coronary arteries in incredible detail and will aid the diagnoses of fatty build-up, blood clots and problems with coronary stents.

It is the first system of its kind up and running in the United Kingdom and one of the first in the world.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Fraser Witherow said the new equipment will help the Dorset County Hospital cardiac centre, which was opened by Prince Edward in 2007 and performs more than 500 coronary stenting procedures a year, continue to provide the very best care for its patients.

He said: “We are delighted to have received this grant from the Dorset Health Trust.

“This equipment will be invaluable in helping to diagnose coronary problems in our patients. We are always aiming to deliver the very best in clinical excellence for our patients and this equipment will certainly help us do that.”

The Dorset Health Trust is a charity that aims to improve medical facilities for people living in the county.

Chairman of the Trust Dr Peter Down attended the launch event at the cardiac centre, where he was joined by staff from the hospital, and got to see the new imaging equipment in action.

Dr Down said: “We were very pleased to be able to support the cardiac centre by purchasing this piece of equipment.

“It is an impressive system and it’s tremendous for patients that cardiologists at Dorset County Hospital are leading the way in using this new technology.”