INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND SYSTEM FOR CO-REGISTERED IMAGING

• US 20110087104A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACIST Medical Systems Incorporated (Bracco SPA)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Valley Medical Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Masters, Donald, MOORE, Thomas C., Lam, Duc H., Reynolds, J. Steve, Waters, Kendall R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/102 using transmission of pulses having some particular characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8952 using discrete, multiple frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52071 Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration

Abstract

An intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprises a catheter having an elongated body having a distal end and an imaging core arranged to be inserted into the elongated body. The imaging core is arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy pulses and to receive reflected ultrasonic energy pulses. The system further includes an imaging engine coupled to the imaging core and arranged to provide the imaging core with energy pulses to cause the imaging core to transmit the ultrasonic energy pulses. The energy pulses are arranged in repeated sequences and the energy pulses of each sequence have varying characteristics. The reflected pulses may be processed to provide a composite image of images resulting from each different characteristic.

Claims

1. An intravascular ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

a catheter having an elongated body having a distal end and an imaging core arranged to be inserted into the elongated body, the imaging core being arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy pulses and to receive reflected ultrasonic energy pulses; and

an imaging engine coupled to the imaging core and arranged to provide the imaging core with energy pulses to cause the imaging core to transmit the ultrasonic energy pulses, the energy pulses being arranged in repeated sequences and wherein the energy pulses of each sequence have varying characteristics.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each sequence of energy pulses includes at least two pulses.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each sequence of energy pulses includes three pulses.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a first one of the three pulses has a high energy characteristic, wherein a second one of the three pulses has a medium energy characteristic, and wherein a third one of the three pulses has a low energy characteristic.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the varying characteristic is pulse energy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the varying characteristic is frequency.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the varying characteristic is bandwidth.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging engine includes a processor that processes the reflected ultrasonic energy pulses in image frames and a detector that detects the varying characteristic in the reflected ultrasonic energy pulses, and wherein the imaging engine processes the frames according to the detected varying characteristic.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging engine is arranged to process only reflected ultrasonic energy pulses having a common detected characteristic.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging engine is further arranged to provide a composite image based upon the varying characteristics of the sequences of reflected ultrasonic energy pulses.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging engine includes a processor that processes the reflected ultrasonic energy pulses in separate image frames, each image frame corresponding to each different energy pulse characteristic and wherein the imaging engine provides display signals for simultaneously displaying the separate image frames.

12. A method comprising:

providing a catheter having an elongated body having a distal end and an imaging core arranged to be inserted into the elongated body, the imaging core being arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy pulses and to receive reflected ultrasonic energy pulses; and

providing the imaging core with energy pulses to cause the imaging core to transmit the ultrasonic energy pulses, wherein the energy pulses are arranged in repeated sequences and wherein the energy pulses of each sequence have varying characteristics.