A video telecommunication network was established to transmit coronary images between a cardiac catheterization laboratory and a remote core laboratory. In 40 patients during interventional procedures, cine angiograms, live fluoroscopy, intravascular ultrasound studies, and images of the cath lab were transmitted in real time over a T1 line at 768 kbits/second at 15 frames/second.
Results: Measurements of angiographic and intravascular ultrasound parameters were very close between the original studies and the transmitted images. The telecommunication link up during the interventional procedures had a significant affect in 58% of cases.