Angioscopy
Angioscopy is a medical technique that lets doctors see inside blood vessels. A flexible tube with a tiny camera (an angioscope) is inserted into an artery. This helps diagnose problems such as a blood clot or other vessel issues. Angioscopy is also used during some bypass surgeries to check the veins used to reroute blood flow.
A newer technology, the Scanning Fiber Endoscope (SFE), can produce much sharper pictures while remaining small and flexible.
In the heart, coronary artery angioscopy was first used to reveal clots in patients with unstable angina and heart attack. Today, it is widely used in catheter laboratories to visualize stents inside arteries.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:05 (CET).