The cardiac catheterisation laboratory environment

Summary

The treatment options for patients with vascular and structural heart disease have been growing over recent years with a strong trend towards less invasive treatment modalities.

In this chapter we will describe the evolution of cardiac catheter laboratories and take a look into the future with a strong focus on imaging techniques as they are used today as well as in the near future.

Cardiac catheter laboratories have adapted to the general progress seen in medicine during the 20th century. They are diagnostic and treatment spaces that are primarily devoted to cardiac diseases in particular coronary disease. One of their key functions is therefore coronary imaging, including invasive techniques to assess and determine the structure of the coronary vessel wall allowing for a more complete diagnosis. Advances in technology reflect the demands of the interventional operators themselves who desire as optimal an image as possible while performing the most minimal invasive procedure.

The chapter follows the evolution of the catheter laboratory from its beginnings through to the contemporary state-of-the-art functionalities and finally a glimpse into the future.

An effort is made to look through the eyes of different users involved in treating cardiovascular patients. Patient safety and effectiveness are...