PRINCIPLES OF ANGIOPLASTY GUIDANCE USING ULTRASOUND

Marker bands that cast dense shadow on X-ray are placed at crucial poi nts on a catheter (for example on a peripheral angioplasty catheter on either side of the balloon) so that those parts of the catheter can b e guided inside the body by X-ray. For catheter guidance by ultrasound , an ultrasound sensor in the mid-balloon region of an angioplasty cat heter is integrated to the scanhead of an ultrasound scanner, via a ca theter system interface (CSI). When the sensor in the catheter is imag ed by the ultrasound scanner, the CSI injects a bright arrow correspon ding to its position. This allows accurate catheter guidance using ult rasound. This paper describes the principles of ultrasound guidance of catheters and the initial clinical experience using this new catheter system (Echomark) in carrying out peripheral transluminal angioplasty .