Angioscopy-design considerations and preliminary results with the ACS angioscope

The engineering requirements for designing a safe and effective percutaneous coronary angioscope are reviewed. These requirements have been incorporated into a 4.3 French over-the-wire, steerable angioscope, which has been approved for sale as a diagnostic device and has been used successfully in clinical studies, Further clinical studies are underway to document the utility of the angioscopic information. If the device proves efficacious, it can easily be modified to enable therapeutic dilatations.<
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