A multipurpose steerable catheter for left-sided cardiac catheterization

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. 147 - 149
• Main Authors: Stefanadis, Christodoulos, Kourouklis, Costas, Kallikazaros, John, Gavaliatsis, Isidoros, Pitsavos, Christos, Papadopoulos, Petros, Toutouzas, Pavlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 1989; Elsevier
• Subjects: Angiography - instrumentation; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Catheterization - instrumentation; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Cardiovascular system; Coronary Angiography; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Investigative techniques of hemodynamics; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Heart; Human; Left heart; Instrumental stimulation; Left ventriculography; Catheterization; Right ventricle; Catheter; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary arteriography; Hemodynamics
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-9149(89)91107-7

Since Sones and Shirey 1 introduced coronary arteriography various techniques have been developed, involving different shapes and types of catheter and approaches via the femoral or brachial routes, with the goal to make cardiac catheterization easy and complication free. 2–5 Today, developments in the technology of coronary angiography have made this technique a safe diagnostic method with relatively rare complications. 6 The widespread use of invasive therapeutic techniques, such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, 7 valvuloplasty 8 and especially electrophysiologic techniques such as His bundle ablation, 9 has led to the creation of new catheterization systems (steerable catheters) that provide safe and precise access to different areas of the heart. We describe a new, multipurpose steerable catheter, which was designed to meet all left-sided heart catheterization requirements and thus minimize catheterization time and complications.