One to the heart: new system magnetically directs coronary catheter.

Cardiac catheterization involves passing a thin flexible tube through an artery or a vein up to the heart, and into a coronary artery. Also called right heart catheterization, the procedure produces angiograms of the coronary arteries and the left ventricle, can be used to measure pressures in the pulmonary artery, and to monitor heart function, usually in critically ill patients. In most cases, cardiac catheterization is recommended when a partial or complete arterial blockage is suspected. It is used to evaluate how well the heart is functioning and to obtain information about b