Recent progresses in imaging and computer technologies stimulated an impressive development in many medical fields. Among them, electrophysiology (EP) is currently one of the fastest developing fields, a significant number of new techniques and tools being launched every year in the market of EP products. New methodologies have been developed to record intracardiac electrophysiology signals and to treat cardiac arrhythmia, well-known examples being represented by 3D applications of intracardiac navigation for diagnosis and treatment of rhythm or conduction disturbances.
Taking into consideration the 3D nature of different techniques for intracardiac navigation, a strong interlink has been developed throughout the years between electrophysiology and cardiac imaging. Complex procedures like CARTO or EnSite navigation are actually based on an association between 3D cardiac imaging and EP, relying on 3D imagistic representations of EP recordings. When available, intracardiac echocardiographic guidance is also used for assisting complicated CARTO ablation procedures.
For sure, due to the extreme complex spatial 3D representations associated with modern complex EP techniques, they could appear nowadays as “science fiction” for those not familiarized with the complexity of these interventions, and “science fiction” EP technology requires “science fiction” imaging techniques. [More]