Berman angiographic and Reverse Berman angiographic catheters

Berman angiographic and Reverse Berman angiographic catheters

Berman angiographic catheter is a balloon tipped angiographic catheter designed by Michael A. Berman. The balloon is inflated prior to angiography so that the catheter does not impinge on the myocardium and thus reducing the possibility of ventricular ectopics and dye staining during high pressure injection. The chance of perforation of the ventricular wall is also reduced if not nullified. It is a dual lumen catheter with a distal balloon and multiple holes proximal to the balloon for delivering the dye as well as recording the pressure tracing. The balloon tip permits its use as a flow directed catheter which is useful in negotiating different chambers in complex congenital heart disease. The catheter tracks the blood stream once the balloon is inflated after reaching the right atrium. Catheter manipulation within the cardiac chambers can be done with higher safety without fear of perforation.

Reverse Berman angiographic catheter

In this catheter, the holes are distal to the balloon so that it can be used for balloon occlusion angiography in vessels. This can be used for selective pulmonary occlusion angiography studies in which balloon is inflated prior to injection of dye and deflated immediately after the injection. Blood flushing out the dye after deflation is also recorded on fluoroscopy.