In a recent issue of “Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions”, researchers at the University of Colorado (Aurora) report on the use of rotational angiography to produce three dimensional images of vasculature. When used in interventional cardiology, physicians will be able to visualize clogged arteries, aneurysms or other disease states in order to diagnose them or perform preoperative planning, such as in angioplasty and stenting Importantly, this imaging can be done without the use of systems of the gargantuan scale of MRI, SPECT or similar systems, and would even require less radiation, reducing patient risk.
The achievement is made by conventional angiography, in which contrast dye is injected into the patient’s vessel, but unlike 2D angiography, rotational angiography uses a rapidly rotating detector to capture the x-ray’s “shadows” from all sides. Then software is used to construct the images.
See more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126175815.htm
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
