A
system and method is provided for substantially
synchronizing the acquisition of blood-vessel data to an identifiable portion of
heartbeat data. Specifically, a data-gathering device is adapted to acquire
heartbeat data and blood-vessel data from a heart-monitoring device and a data-gathering probe, respectively. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blood-vessel data is acquired during a cyclical portion of the
heartbeat data. By identifying a cyclical (or commonly reoccurring) portion of the heartbeat data and acquiring blood-vessel data during this cyclical portion (or during an interval that substantially corresponds thereto), the
blood vessel can be analyzed as if it were standing still—i.e., not expanding and relaxing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the heart-monitoring device includes an EKG device, the data-gathering device includes an intra-
vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device and a computing device, and the data-gathering probe includes at least one
transducer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the data-gathering
system further includes a retraction device adapted to move the data-gathering probe though a
blood vessel at a substantially steady speed.