A cath lab, short for a catheterization laboratory, is a customized room in a hospital, clinic, or medical imaging facility with catheterization equipment and specialized diagnostic imaging machines. They allow doctors to capture images of the heart and blood vessels as they move in real-time.
Such labs are invaluable for both diagnostics and treatments, but not all cath labs are the same; they have different designs and configurations. In this article, we will examine the differences between single-plane and bi-plane systems to help you decide which is the best fit for your facility.
What Is a Bi-Plane Cath Lab?
First, a cath lab is a customized room designed for cardiovascular procedures. It contains advanced diagnostic imaging machines, including a fluoroscopy system that captures images of the heart and blood vessels as they move in real-time.
A bi-plane system excels at utilizing dual C-arm X-ray machines to capture quality images from two different angles simultaneously. This multi-angle imaging is essential for facilities focusing on specialty fields such as neurovascular or electrophysiology (EP) imaging procedures.
The advantage of this design is that when the lab is needed for standard vascular procedures, you can adjust the settings to simply use one C-arm, allowing for flexibility and cost savings for facilities that would benefit from having both systems available to them.
What Is a Single-Plane Cath Lab?
A single-plane system contains many of the same essential tools and works similarly to the bi-plane, but the primary difference is that it uses only one C-arm machine instead of two. These are best for facilities focusing on a broader range of cardiovascular procedures, such as stent replacements, angiographic imaging, and balloon angioplasty.
You can still do some neurovascular and EP studies with customized modifications, which helps make this system versatile. However, which system you choose depends on your clinic’s primary focus.
Clinics that are on a budget and perform more general cardiovascular procedures but only occasionally need to perform specialized studies may benefit from the cost savings of this design.
What Procedures Are Done in a Cath Lab?
Catheterization laboratories are used to perform a wide range of cardiovascular imaging studies and minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.
They are widely used to map the blood flow path through the vessels, helping to locate diseases, blood clots, blockages, or other abnormalities. They are also used to guide a wide range of minimally invasive procedures to treat blockages, blood clots, and other vascular problems.
They can also be used for things like stent replacement, angiographic imaging, balloon angioplasty, ablation, pacemaker implants, and endomyocardial biopsy. Sometimes, they are even used in certain oncology treatments to help cut off the blood supply to a tumor.
Cath labs are especially helpful in diagnosing and treating vascular and neurovascular problems, such as aneurysms, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, as well as in electrophysiology (EP) studies.
The ability to combine diagnostics and treatment into a single room and procedure significantly improves patient comfort, safety, and experience, helping patients recover faster.
What Is the Difference Between a Single-Plane and Bi-Plane Cath Lab?
Here, we will compare the differences between these two systems to help you decide which is best for your clinic.
Safety
Although all cath lab arrangements are generally considered safe, since bi-plane systems use less contrast dye and can reduce radiation exposure by capturing multiple images simultaneously, they can be safer for patients requiring multiple procedures.
Specialization
A bi-plane system is more suited to specializations like neurovascular and EP studies and comes equipped with advanced 3D software to create fast 3D images. The single-plane design is more suited to general cardiovascular procedures since they need upgrades and modifications to perform specializations.
Image Acquisition Speed
Since the bi-plane system captures data from two different detectors, it is faster at producing 3D images. This reduces the need for repositioning and the amount of contrast agents needed, which helps improve patient safety, comfort, and overall experience.
Single-plane systems can be upgraded to produce 3D imaging, but the repositioning and software’s reconstruction process is slower. Furthermore, the bi-plane already comes with 3D software, which must be purchased as an add-on for those with a single-plane system.
Space Requirements
The American College of Cardiology recommends 500-600 square feet for the procedure area and 150-200 square feet for the control room for a single-plane system.
A bi-plane system with its second C-arm machine and all the associated components needed to run it is larger than a single C-arm system. In fact, to accommodate the extra equipment, the procedure room needs approximately 200 square feet more space.
With its extra space requirements, the dual C-arm design may not be suitable for clinics with limited space that perform more general cardiovascular procedures.
Room Preparation
More machines and more space with the bi-plane system means more planning and preparation will need to go into the room. For instance, you will need additional ceiling support for the second C-arm instead of only one support system. What kind of support is needed and how it is set up depends on your particular configuration, but it could add an extra 2,000 lbs of weight, so the supports must be rated to handle it.
For those requiring the specialization of a bi-plane system, the extra supports are worth planning for, while those not needing the specialization could benefit from the simplicity of a single-plane design.
Cost
As you can probably imagine, having two C-arm machines instead of one comes at an extra cost. This includes the extra C-arm and the extra components (detectors, computers, support structures, etc.).
The good news is that servicing a more complex machine does not cost twice as much as servicing a single-plane system but generally runs about 25-30% higher.
For smaller facilities, the single plane is appealing cost-wise. However, remember that the cost can increase significantly if you need to use it for multiple specialties, such as incorporating 3D software, an injector for contrast agents, or other equipment, so be sure to factor those add-ons into your final decision-making process.
Final Thoughts
The choice between a single-plane and bi-plane cath lab depends on your facility's specific needs, procedures, space, and budget. Bi-plane systems offer advanced imaging capabilities for specialized procedures like neurovascular and EP, while single-plane systems provide cost-effectiveness for general cardiovascular practices.
Ultimately, investing in the right technology improves patient outcomes and enhances overall workflow efficiency. For further assistance in selecting the best imaging equipment for your needs, contact PatientImage.
