Apparatus and method for examining blood vessels of interest by tracking position with respect to time of particles introduced therein
First Claim
1. Apparatus for interacting with a number of particles which can be introduced into the blood of a subject and which can provide signals from within a vessel of interest that can be detected outside the body, the apparatus comprising:
- detector means positionable near the body of the subject for detecting the signals from the number of particles at successive locations of each of the number of particles at successive times during the travel of each particle through a vessel of interest;
circuit means coupled to said detector means for providing output manifestations from successive positions of each of the number of particles at successive times during the travel thereof through the vessel of interest; and
output means responsive to the output manifestations from said circuit means for providing an indication of the relative internal cross-sectional areas of the vessel of interest at successive positions along the cource of the vessel of interest.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The extent, location, and severity of stenotic atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary arteries are determined by intravenous injection into the circulating blood of a number of small, discrete positron-emitting particles and by tracking the particles in three dimensions in the region of the heart using suitable gamma detectors disposed external to the patient'"'"'s chest. The resolution and counting rates of the gamma detectors permit the sequence of positions of each particle to be recorded as a function of time as each particle flows through a coronary vessel. Data analysis of these recordings of particle position provide information about the velocity of blood flow through the course of each coronary artery. This velocity information is used to determine the extent, severity, and location of stenotic lesions of the coronary arteries.
15 Citations
51 Claims
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1. Apparatus for interacting with a number of particles which can be introduced into the blood of a subject and which can provide signals from within a vessel of interest that can be detected outside the body, the apparatus comprising:
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detector means positionable near the body of the subject for detecting the signals from the number of particles at successive locations of each of the number of particles at successive times during the travel of each particle through a vessel of interest; circuit means coupled to said detector means for providing output manifestations from successive positions of each of the number of particles at successive times during the travel thereof through the vessel of interest; and output means responsive to the output manifestations from said circuit means for providing an indication of the relative internal cross-sectional areas of the vessel of interest at successive positions along the cource of the vessel of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for interacting with a number of particles which can be introduced into the blood of a subject and which can produce radiation from within a vessel of interest that passes through the body walls of the subject in substantially opposite directions from the location of the particle within the body, the apparatus comprising:
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detector means positionable about the body of the subject for receiving the radiation emanating in substantially opposite directions from the body of the subject to produce electrical signals in response thereto which are indicative of successive locations of each of the number of particles at successive times during travel of each particle through the vessel of interest; and circuit means including timing means coupled to said detector means for providing output manifestations indicative of the three-dimensional coordinates of successive positions of each of the number of particles which is within the vessel of interest and from which the detector means receives oppositely-directed radiation in substantial coincidence during a time interval determined by said timing means, said circuit means including signal selecting means connected to receive said output manifestations for producing an output therefrom in response to the occurrence of at least three pairs of coordinates represented by said output manifestations for a selected time interval attaining values which correspond to at least three straight lines connecting such pairs of coordinates substantially intersecting at a location within the vessel of interest, thereby to identify the location of a positron-emitting particle in the vessel of interest, and outut means responsive to the outputs from said signal selecting means for providing an indication of successive positions of a particle along the course of a vessel of interest. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. The method for determining the existence, location and severity of stenosis or dilations of regions of selected blood vessels within the body of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
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introducing into the blood of the subject a number of particulate sources of radiation which can produce radiation from within a vessel of interest that can pass through the body walls of the subject; detecting the radiation emanating from the body of the subject to determine the successive locations of the radiation source and the relative frequency of occurrence of the detected radiation; determining therefrom the course of the vessel of interest within the body of the subject and the relative frequency of occurrence of detected radiation per unit length along the course of the vessel of interest; and ascertaining therefrom the relative internal cross-sectional areas of the vessel of interest from the direct relationship thereof to the frequency of occurrences of detected radiation per unit length of the vessel of interest. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. Apparatus for interacting with a number of particles which can be introduced into the blood of a subject and which can provide signals from within a vessel of interest that can be detected outside the body, the apparatus comprising:
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detector means positionable near the body of the subject for receiving the signals emanating from the body of the subject to produce electrical signals in response thereto which are indicative of the successive locations of a particle from which the received signals emanated from the body; circuit means responsive to said electrical signals for providing output manifestations indicative of the three-dimensional coordinates of successive locations of each of said particles within said vessel of interest as a function of time; and output means responsive to the output manifestations from said circuit means for providing an indication of the course of the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. The method of determining the course of a blood vessel of interest within the body of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
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introducing into the blood stream of the subject one or more particles capable of providing signals detectable from outside the body to flow with the blood through the blood vessel of interest; establishing a field of detection which encompasses the blood vessel of interest and tracking through the field of detection the successive locations of each particle as it flows through the blood vessel of interest; and determining therefrom the course of the vessel of interest. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
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48. The method for determining the course of a blood vessel of interest within the body of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
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introducing into the blood of the subject a number of particulate sources of radiation which can produce radiation from within a vessel of interest that can pass through the body walls of the subject; detecting the electrocardiographic signals from the subject to identify therefrom the diastolic portion of the cardiac cycle of the subject; detecting the radiation emanating from the body of the subject only during said diastolic portion of the cardiac cycle to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of successive locations of the radiation source; and determining therefrom the course of the vessel of interest within the body of the subject.
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49. The method for determining the course of a blood vessel of interest within the body of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
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introducing into the blood of the subject a number of particulate sources of radiation which can produce gamma rays from within a vessel of interest that can pass through the body walls of the subject; detecting only pairs of gamma rays received from the body of the subject in substantial coincidence from substantially opposite directions with respect to the vessel of interest; selecting pairs of substantially coincident, oppositely-directed gamma rays which have coordinates for each pair that correspond to the substantial intersection of three straight lines connecting said coordinate pairs, each of these intersections occurring at a location within a vessel of interest to identify the successive locations of a particulate source flowing therewithin; and determining therefrom the course of the vessel of interest within the body of the subject. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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Specification