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Until recently, clinically available imaging systems
are limited to mechanical systems with a single rotating transducer. The catheters which have
had the widest clinical application until recently are the 10F, 10 MHz and 9F, 9 MHz mechanical
imaging catheters (Boston Scientific Corp.). These catheters allow a radial (360 degree) field of
view of approximately 4 cm. A smaller 6F, 12.5 MHz catheter which may be deployed via a long
vascular sheath has also been used for intracardiac imaging1,2. These catheters are useful for
imaging the right atrium but provide limited images of the left atrium and pulmonary veins.
Recently, a steerable phased array imaging probe has been developed (Acuson). This catheter
is still in animal trials but is expected to be released for human use in the near future. With this
catheter clear visualization of all left atrial structures and proximal pulmonary veins can be
obtained with the catheter positioned in the right atrium. This is likely to represent a major
advance in inteventional electrophysiology.
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