Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an adjunct to coronary angiography and coronary angioplasties. It uses the same ultrasound technology described for echocardiography.

However, here the sound wave transducer is mounted at the end of a catheter that is introduced into a coronary artery. These catheters can:

• Measure the velocity of blood flow within a coronary artery. This is useful for determining if a blockage is severe enough to deprive the heart muscle of the additional blood flow it needs when the heart has to work hard.

• Demonstrate not only how severe the narrowing produced by a blockage is, but also show the composition of the underlying atherosclerotic plaque. This information can be invaluable is determining which of the many types of angioplasty procedures would be best to treat the blockage.

• Immediately assess the results of angioplasty procedures before the catheters are removed. This helps the physician know if more work needs to be done before the catheters are removed.

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