Catheterization laboratories open the doors for Extended Realities-review of clinical applications in cardiology

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Cardiac interventions face challenges due to complex vascular anatomy and spatial relationships.
• Traditional imaging modalities (angiography, echocardiography, CT, MRI) have limitations in spatial representation.
• Advanced techniques are crucial for overcoming these limitations in cardiac intervention planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications, benefits, drawbacks, and limitations of Extended Realities (XR) in cardiac interventions.
• To enhance the understanding and clinical utilization of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) in cardiology.
• To highlight how XR technologies can improve procedural planning and intra-procedural navigation.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on Extended Realities (VR, AR, MR) in cardiac interventions.
• Analysis of the advantages of XR, including spatial visualization, object interaction, and anatomical immersion.
• Evaluation of the impact of XR on procedural planning and navigation.

Main Results:

• Extended Realities offer direct spatial visualization from medical data, enabling interaction and immersion in cardiac anatomy.
• XR technologies present significant benefits for procedural planning and intra-procedural navigation in cardiac interventions.
• The review details the specific applications, advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of VR, AR, and MR in this field.

Conclusions:

• Extended Realities are pivotal in addressing the spatial challenges of cardiac interventions.
• Understanding and implementing VR, AR, and MR technologies can optimize cardiac intervention outcomes.
• Further exploration and adoption of XR tools are recommended for advancing clinical practice in interventional cardiology.