Angioscopy is a medical technique for visualizing the interior of

blood vessels The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away f ...

. In this technique, a flexible fibre bundle endoscope catheter is inserted directly into an artery. It can be helpful in diagnosing (e.g.,

arterial embolism Arterial embolism is a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ or body part due to an embolus adhering to the wall of an artery blocking the flow of blood, the major type of embolus being a blood clot (thromboembolism). Sometimes, pulmona ...

).MDGuidelines > Arterial Embolism And Thrombosis
From ''The Medical Disability Advisor'' by Presley Reed, MD. Retrieved on April 30, 2010 Angioscopy is also used as an adjunctive procedure during vascular bypass to visualize valves within venous conduits. The instrument used to perform angioscopy is called as angioscope. Scanning Fiber Endoscope (SFE) is an emerging technology which provides much higher resolution imaging, whilst maintaining a small form factor and flexibility. Coronary artery angioscopy, which first was used to reveal the presence of a blood clot in the coronary arteries of patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction, is now widely used in catherization laboratories to visualize stents.

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Endoscopy {{surgery-stub