Tight inventory control in the cath and electrophysiology (EP) labs is critical to hospitals' bottom lines due to the expense of the items and their rapid expirations. A new technology showing big returns on investment is radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking.


The landscape of cardiovascular care is changing. In the cath lab alone, the shift in volume and type of diagnostic and interventional procedures has broadened the lab’s scope, increased demand and raised expectations.

The process of the coronary CT angiography (CTA) becoming the preferred imaging modality is akin to the process of obtaining a pilot’s license.

While the primary reason hospitals adopt new technology is to increase patient care and produce better outcomes, there are many other factors that also affect purchasing decisions.
A comparison of SPECT scanner photo-multiplier technology vs. the newer CZT detector SPECT technology, showing improvement in image clarity.

If the case went to court for whether positron emission tomography (PET) or single, photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is better suited for myocardial perfusion imaging, experts say the current technology and developments on the horizon would result in a hung jury.

This comparison chart features three categories of stents: coronary, carotid and peripheral. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Mark Paquin, contributing editor and editorial advisory board member, in drafting specification questions, as well as the manufacturers whose contributions of specs have made this chart a useful tool for physicians.

The article by Frost & Sullivan market analyst Venkat Rajan is a discussion of the DES market and the author's perspectives and forecasts.

Angiography systems have been a diagnostic mainstay in cardiac cath labs for more than 50 years, playing a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular diseases. Replacing imaging intensifiers with flat panel detectors (FPD) for angiography has broadened digital imaging’s role in the cath lab.

The use of embolic protection devices (EPD) during percutaneous cardiac procedures has helped reduce the number of complications due to debris being released into the bloodstream and causing blockages in smaller vessels. The devices are designed to capture and remove debris that may be dislodged during procedures.

There are three classes of EPD devices:

As the new editor of Diagnostic and Invasive Cardiology (DAIC), I hope communication will not be one-sided with me presenting or reviewing new technology on the market. I would like to hear from the readers — the end users of these products — to find out your thoughts. I would also like to find out what you consider as important issues, or what technologies you would like to hear more about.

September 4, 2008 – St. Elizabeth, in Cincinnati, OH, which serves more than 300 stroke patients annually, is the first community hospital in the U.S. to install the Aquilion ONE 320-slice CT system from Toshiba America Medical Systems in an ER setting.

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