Latest technical advances in the cathlab through 3D arteriography and 3D coronary angiography

For a long time, the switch from analog to digital X-ray imaging seemed to be the only technical progress of X-ray fluoroscopy in the cardiac cathlab. But recently, two major 3D fluoroscopy imaging technologies for coronary angiography and electrophysiology were developed and brought into the clinical practice of coronary angiography and electrophysiology laboratories. 3D coronary angiography (3DCA) and the 3D arteriography (3DATG) methods take advantage of a new high speed C-arc X-ray gantry that acquires the image data while swinging over the patient's body. With 3D coronary angiography a 3D model of the coronary artery tree is calculated. The calculated 3DCA model is used to plan an optimal viewing angle for an interventional procedure with minimal foreshortening. 3DATG is useful for guiding anatomically determined left atrial ablation such as pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation. It is advantageous for electrophysiological therapy to see the true positions of the EP mapping and ablation catheters in the live X-ray fluoroscopy merged with the true anatomical walls of the left atrium.