Cardiac electrophysiology

Two-dimensional intracardiac echocardiography Recently, two ICE systems became available for interventional EP labs: mechanical and phased-array transducers. The mechanical intravascular ultrasound imaging and ICE system (ClearView, CardioVascular Imaging Systems Inc, Fremont, CA) is an 8 Fr sheath-based catheter that incorporates a 9 MHz beveled single-element transducer rotating at 1800 rpm (model 9900, EP Technologies, Boston Scientific Corp, San Jose, CA, USA).1 The catheter is equipped with a 1 cm long sonolucent distal sheath with a lumen housing the imaging transducer. The sheath prevents direct contact of the rotating transducer with the cardiac wall. The ICE catheter is filled with 3-5 ml sterile water and then connected to the ultrasound console (model I5007, Boston Scientific Corp, San Jose, CA, USA). This catheter obtains cross-sectional images perpendicular to its long axis. The catheter is relatively simple in its design and the data acquisition allows 3D reconstruction.