Online coregistration of intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography.

Intravascular imaging using both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have become important tools in the interventional cardiologist's armamentarium. However, in some centers, intravascular imaging is not widely employed. This is due to several reasons, including lack of training in the use of intravascular imaging. Coregistration with angiography may be a helpful tool for those that use both IVUS and OCT in the cath lab and may reduce the learning curve associated with its use. For experienced operators, coregistration can shorten procedure time and lessen contrast use, which may be particularly important when performing complex or multivessel PCI. As a research tool, coregistration can allow for accurate comparison of interval intravascular images. In this review, we will discuss how to acquire coregistered images using both IVUS and OCT systems, and the potential advantages of this technology over non-coregistered images, and indeed angiography alone.