Use And Value Of Computer In Cardiac-Catheterization Laboratory

The use of computer systems for the analysis of data from cardiac catheterization has evolved from an experimental laboratory technique to the present state where commercial systems are available. Initial efforts at computerized analysis of intra-cardiac pressure wave forms was initiated at Stanford Medical Center in 1965, at which time computerized algorithms were developed which permitted on-line pressure measurement and the calculation of valvular gradients. 1 Henry W Crouse L Stenson RE Computer analysis of cardiac catheterization data. Am J Cardiol. 1969; 22: 606-705 Google Scholar Programs were written in a PL/I dialect for a large-scale, interactive time-sharing computer system which had provision for analog signal inputs. Other medical centers having access to large-scale computer systems have also successfully implemented automated measuring techniques. 2 Gardner RM Hoescherl AW Instrumentation for computerized heart catheterization: IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. Biomed Eng. 1971; 18: 60-65 Google Scholar It subsequently became apparent that in our catheterization laboratory the requirement for constant readiness of the computer to accept a pressure signal could not be met by a general-purpose time-sharing computer system. The real-time nature of this task was better suited to a dedicated minicomputer system and led to further program implementation using a computer (Hewlett-Packard 2115). 3 Harrison DC Ridges JD Sanders WJ Real-time analysis of cardiac catheterization data using a computer system. Circulation. 1971; 44: 709-718 Crossref PubMed Scopus (18) Google Scholar Important factors in the widespread use of a computer system in the catheterization laboratory have been the rapidly declining price and increasing performance of small computer systems.