97 results about "Intravascular imaging" patented technology

A design and a fabrication method for an intravascular imaging and therapeutic catheters for combined ultrasound, photoacoustic, and elasticity imaging and for optical and / or acoustic therapy of hollow organs and diseased blood vessels and tissues are disclosed in the present invention. The invention comprises both a device—optical fiber-based intravascular catheter designs for combined IVUS / IVPA, and elasticity imaging and for acoustic and / or optical therapy—and a method of combined ultrasound, photoacoustic, and elasticity imaging and optical and / or acoustic therapy. The designs of the catheters are based on single-element catheter-based ultrasound transducers or on ultrasound array-based units coupled with optical fiber, fiber bundles or a combination thereof with specially designed light delivery systems. One approach uses the side fire fiber, similar to the one utilized for biomedical optical spectroscopy. The second catheter design uses the micro-optics in the manner of a probe for optical coherent tomography.

A method and apparatus for intravascular imaging utilizes a rotating magnetic field generated outside of the patient's body to cause a substantially synchronous rotation of an ultrasonic signal inside the patient's body.

In part, the invention relates to processing, tracking and registering angiography images and elements in such images relative to images from an intravascular imaging modality such as, for example, optical coherence tomography (OCT). Registration between such imaging modalities is facilitated by tracking of a marker of the intravascular imaging probe performed on the angiography images obtained during a pullback. Further, detecting and tracking vessel centerlines is used to perform a continuous registration between OCT and angiography images in one embodiment.

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging probe 500 comprises a reference arm, and a sample arm which are both preferably disposed in a hollow outer tube 515. The sample arm comprises a MEMS scanning mirror 210 disposed inside and secured to the tube 515 for providing lateral scanning of a first and second optical beam provided. The scanning mirror has a highly reflective top 211 and highly reflective bottom surface 212, wherein the first beam is incident on the top surface and the second beam is incident on the bottom surface. The scanning mirror 210 is rotatable through at least 90° along a first axis to provide 180° scanning on each of its surfaces to cover a full 360° circumferential view of a sample to be imaged.

The inventions described in this patent application include i) a torqueable introducer sheath which is useable in conjunction with a transvascular passageway forming catheter to effect precise rotational control of the catheter; ii) an anchorable guide catheter which is useable in conjunction with an intravascular imaging catheter and a transvascular passageway-forming catheter to effect precise positioning and aiming of the passageway-forming catheter; iii) a passageway forming catheter having a torqueable proximal portion to facilitate precise rotational positioning of the distal portion of the catheter; iv) a deflectable-tipped passageway forming catheter, v) various markers and other apparatus useable in conjunction with any of the passageway-forming catheters to facilitate precise positioning and aiming of the catheter, and vi) an apparatus which may be formed within a catheter to prevent a member, apparatus of flow of material from being inadvertently advanced through a lumen of the catheter.

Vasculature can be imaged with emissive semiconductor nanocrystals, for example, in the near infrared.

The inventions described in this patent application include i) a torqueable introducer sheath which is useable in conjunction with a transvascular passageway forming catheter to effect precise rotational control of the catheter; ii) an anchorable guide catheter which is useable in conjunction with an intravascular imaging catheter and a transvascular passageway-forming catheter to effect precise positioning and aiming of the passageway-forming catheter; iii) a passageway forming catheter having a torqueable proximal portion to facilitate precise rotational positioning of the distal portion of the catheter; iv) a deflectable-tipped passageway forming catheter, v) various markers and other apparatus useable in conjunction with any of the passageway-forming catheters to facilitate precise positioning and aiming of the catheter, and vi) an apparatus which may be formed within a catheter to prevent a member, apparatus of flow of material from being inadvertently advanced through a lumen of the catheter.

In part, the invention relates to processing, tracking and registering angiography images and elements in such images relative to images from an intravascular imaging modality such as, for example, optical coherence tomography (OCT). Registration between such imaging modalities is facilitated by tracking of a marker of the intravascular imaging probe performed on the angiography images obtained during a pullback. Further, detecting and tracking vessel centerlines is used to perform a continuous registration between OCT and angiography images in one embodiment.

A fiber-delivered probe suitable for CARS imaging of thick tissues is practical. The disclosed design is based on two advances. First, a major problem in CARS probe design is the presence of a very strong anti-Stokes component in silica delivery fibers generated through a FWM process. Without proper spectral filtering, this component affects the CARS image from the tissue sample. The illustrated embodiments of the invention efficiently suppress this spurious anti-Stokes component through the use of a separate fiber for excitation delivery and for signal detection, which allows the incorporation of dichroic optics for anti-Stokes rejection. Second, the detection of backscattered CARS radiation from the sample is optimized by using a large core multi mode fiber in the detection channel. This scheme produces high quality CARS images free of detector aperture effects. Miniaturization of this fiber-delivered probe results in a practical handheld probe for clinical CARS imaging.

The invention is directed to a probe-type imaging device useful to visualize interior surfaces, e.g., the lumen of blood vessels. Specifically, the probe-type device is particularly useful for direct tissue imaging in the presence or absence of molecular imaging agents.

The present invention relates to a new intravascular imaging device based on a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuator mechanism embedded inside an elongate member such as a guide wire or catheter. The present invention utilizes a novel SMA mechanism to provide side-looking imaging by providing movement for an ultrasound transducer element. This novel SMA actuator mechanism can be easily fabricated in micro-scale, providing an advantage over existing imaging devices because it offers the ability to miniaturize the overall size of the device, while the use of multiple transducer crystals maximizes field of view. Also disclosed are methods of using the same.

In part, the invention relates to processing, tracking and registering angiography images and elements in such images relative to images from an intravascular imaging modality such as, for example, optical coherence tomography (OCT). Registration between such imaging modalities is facilitated by tracking of a marker of the intravascular imaging probe performed on the angiography images obtained during a pullback. Further, detecting and tracking vessel centerlines is used to perform a continuous registration between OCT and angiography images in one embodiment.

The invention provides an intravascular imaging system and method. The intravascular imaging system comprises a laser source, a coupling optical path, a signal acquisition and control system, a time-delay circuit, an ultrasonic signal transceiver, a three-dimensional scanning system and an opto-acoustic / ultrasonic vascular endoscope device; pulse laser emitted by the laser source is guided into the opto-acoustic / ultrasonic vascular endoscope device through the coupling optical path and the three-dimensional scanning system; the pulse laser obliquely enters to a vascular wall to excite an opto-acoustic signal; a synchronous triggering signal emitted by the laser source enters the ultrasonic signal transceiver; the ultrasonic signal transceiver is used for controlling the opto-acoustic / ultrasonic vascular endoscope device to emit and receive the ultrasonic signal according to the synchronous triggering signal; the signal acquisition and control system is used for receiving the opto-acoustic signal and the ultrasonic signal from the opto-acoustic / ultrasonic vascular endoscope device through the ultrasonic signal transceiver and carrying out three-dimensional reconstruction according to the opto-acoustic signal and the ultrasonic signal to generate a three-dimensional image and a cross section image of intravascular tissues. According to the intravascular imaging system and method, the imaging speed can be improved.

A method of using an integrated intraluminal imaging system includes an optical coherence tomography interferometer (OCT), an ultrasound subsystem (US) and a phase resolved acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography subsystem (PR-RAF-OCE). The steps include performing OCT to generate a returned optical signal, performing US imaging to generate a returned ultrasound signal, performing PR-ARF-OCE to generate a returned PR-ARF-OCE signal by generating a amplitude modulated ultrasound beam or chirped amplitude modulated ultrasound beam to frequency sweep the acoustic radiation force, measuring the ARF induced tissue displacement using phase resolved OCT method, and the frequency dependence of the PR-ARF-OCE signal, processing the returned optical signal, the returned ultrasound signal and the measured frequency dependence of the returned PR-ARF-OCE optical coherence elastographic signal to quantitatively measure the mechanical properties of the identified tissues with both spectral and spatial resolution using enhanced materials response at mechanically resonant frequencies to distinguish tissues with varying stiffness, to identify tissues with different biomechanical properties and to measure structural and mechanical properties simultaneously.

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging probe 500 comprises a reference arm, and a sample arm which are both preferably disposed in a hollow outer tube 515. The sample arm comprises a MEMS scanning mirror 210 disposed inside and secured to the tube 515 for providing lateral scanning of a first and second optical beam provided. The scanning mirror has a highly reflective top 211 and highly reflective bottom surface 212, wherein the first beam is incident on the top surface and the second beam is incident on the bottom surface. The scanning mirror 210 is rotatable through at least 90° along a first axis to provide 180° scanning on each of its surfaces to cover a full 360° circumferential view of a sample to be imaged.

The invention discloses a high-precision matching model-based method for calculating coronary artery parameters. According to the method, firstly, the angiography imaging means and the intravascular imaging means of a coronary vessel part are acquired. After that, an angiography image and an intravascular image are matched to form a high-precision matching model. The blood flow amount, the blood fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) and the microcirculation resistance index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) of coronary vessels are calculated on the basis of the high-precision matching model. According to the method for calculating the coronary parameter blood flow, the blood flow reserve score and the microcirculation resistance index, the high-precision matching model of images is acquired through two ways, namely the angiography imaging means and the intravascular imaging means. The calculation result of the method is more accurate than the image of either the angiography imaging means orthe intravascular imaging means alone, so that the method is high in practicability.

A multi-modal catheter combining at least NIRF and IVUs imaging channels used to reveal integrated biological and structural features of a lumen intravascularly imaged through flowing blood in vivo and corrected for distance-related attenuation and / or scattering parameters of in vivo blood to compensate for discovered overestimation of the degree of in-vivo-blood attenuation of NIRF signal Enhancing the sensitivity of detection of vascular injury and / or plaque deposition beyond the capability of a standalone IVUS imaging as a result of the use of such corrected catheter.

An endovascular OCT probe is included in an endovascular access device for intravascular imaging. The probe includes a hollow coil wire defining an axial lumen of the endovascular access device. A single mode optical fiber for transmitting light is disposed in the axial lumen of the hollow coil wire so that translation and rotation of the hollow coil wire carrying the optical fiber within the endovascular access device is stabilized for scanning endovascular tissue with at least 5 microns resolution. An optic element directs light from and into the optical fiber at a distal tip of the optical fiber and is coupled to or fixed to the distal end of the optical fiber. The optic element and the distal end of the optical fiber is disposed within a glass ferule to protect it from damage.

The inventions described in this patent application include i) a torqueable introducer sheath which is useable in conjunction with a transvascular passageway forming catheter to effect precise rotational control of the catheter; ii) an anchorable guide catheter which is useable in conjunction with an intravascular imaging catheter and a transvascular passageway-forming catheter to effect precise positioning and aiming of the passageway-forming catheter; iii) a passageway forming catheter having a torqueable proximal portion to facilitate precise rotational positioning of the distal portion of the catheter; iv) a deflectable-tipped passageway forming catheter, v) various markers and other apparatus useable in conjunction with any of the passageway-forming catheters to facilitate precise positioning and aiming of the catheter, and vi) an apparatus which may be formed within a catheter to prevent a member, apparatus of flow of material from being inadvertently advanced through a lumen of the catheter.

Methods, systems and non-transitory computer readable media that store instructions executable by one or more processors for performing an interventional procedure are presented. One or more pulses are delivered to an intravascular region of interest (ROI) in a subject using at least one image sensor and at least one forward-looking flow sensor disposed at a distal end of an integrated intravascular device. Further, one or more images corresponding to the ROI are reconstructed using imaging signals received in response to the pulses delivered by the image sensor. Additionally, one or more flow characteristics corresponding to the ROI are determined based on the signals received in response to the pulses delivered by the flow sensor. The determined flow characteristics are used for computing one or more functional parameters corresponding to the ROI. An assessment of the subject may be provided based on the reconstructed images and / or the functional parameters.

A combined multi-lumen central access catheter and an embolic filter, further comprising an imaging modality to facilitate intravascular imaging of the filter.

The invention discloses an intravascular photoacoustic-optical coherence tomography-near-infrared multi-mode imaging device and method. The device comprises a computer, a photoacoustic imaging system,an optical coherence tomography system, a near-infrared optical imaging system, an optical fiber combiner, a double-cladding optical fiber photoelectric combination slip ring, a three-dimensional motion control system and a miniature endoscopic probe. On the one hand, the photoacoustic imaging system, the optical coherence tomography system and the near-infrared optical imaging system are connected to the computer; on the other hand, double-cladding optical fibers are disposed on the double-cladding optical fiber photoelectric combination slip ring through the optical fiber combiner and thenconnected to the miniature endoscope probe, and the double-cladding optical fiber photoelectric combination slip ring is disposed on a three-dimensional motion detection system. Integration of three intravascular imaging methods of photoacoustic imaging, OCT imaging and near-infrared optical imaging is achieved, detection procedures are simplified, the detection difficulty is reduced, and the situation that work is conducted by means of the three imaging methods simultaneously can be achieved.

A wave-based tomographic imaging method and apparatus based upon one or more rotating radially outward oriented transmitting and receiving elements have been developed for non-destructive evaluation. At successive angular locations at a fixed radius, a predetermined transmitting element can launch a primary field and one or more predetermined receiving elements can collect the backscattered field in a "pitch / catch" operation. A Hilbert space inverse wave (HSIW) algorithm can construct images of the received scattered energy waves using operating modes chosen for a particular application. Applications include, improved intravascular imaging, bore hole tomography, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of parts having existing access holes.

In part, the invention relates to systems and methods of calibrating a plurality of frames generated with respect to a blood vessel as a result of a pullback of an intravascular imaging probe being pullback through the vessel. A calibration feature disposed in the frames that changes between a subset of the frames can be used to perform calibration. Calibration can be performed post-pullback. Various filters and image processing techniques can be used to identify one or more feature in the frames including, without limitation, a calibration feature, a guidewire, a side branch, a stent strut, a lumen of the blood vessel, and other features. The feature can be displayed using a graphic user interface.

A design and a fabrication method for an intravascular imaging and therapeutic catheters for combined ultrasound, photoacoustic, and elasticity imaging and for optical and / or acoustic therapy of hollow organs and diseased blood vessels and tissues are disclosed in the present invention. The invention comprises both a device—optical fiber-based intravascular catheter designs for combined IVUS / IVPA, and elasticity imaging and for acoustic and / or optical therapy—and a method of combined ultrasound, photoacoustic, and elasticity imaging and optical and / or acoustic therapy. The designs of the catheters are based on single-element catheter-based ultrasound transducers or on ultrasound array-based units coupled with optical fiber, fiber bundles or a combination thereof with specially designed light delivery systems. One approach uses the side fire fiber, similar to the one utilized for biomedical optical spectroscopy. The second catheter design uses the micro-optics in the manner of a probe for optical coherent tomography.

The present invention relates to a new intravascular imaging device based on a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuator mechanism embedded inside an elongate member such as a guide wire or catheter. The present invention utilizes a novel SMA mechanism to provide side-looking imaging by providing movement for an optical coherence tomography (OCT) element. This novel SMA actuator mechanism can be easily fabricated in micro-scale, providing an advantage over existing imaging devices by offering the ability to miniaturize the overall size of the device. Because the device does not require a rotating shaft or fiber optic along the length of the catheter, it also allows for a more flexible catheter or guide wire, and provides room for other interventional devices. The device simplifies the manufacture and operation of OCT by allowing a straight fiber optic directed by an independent, oscillating reflector or prism controlled by the actuator mechanism located only in the distal tip of the device. A variation uses the actuator mechanism to rotate only the distal end of the optical fiber, eliminating the need to spin the entire fiber via a remote mechanism. Also disclosed are methods of using the same.

The invention relates to an intravascular virtual endoscope imaging system based on an electromagnetic positioning composite conduit and a working method of the system. The intravascular virtual endoscope imaging system comprises an electromagnetic positioning tracking module, a composite intravascular imaging conduit module and a positioning information processing and composite image presenting module, wherein the composite intravascular imaging conduit module is used for acquiring intravascular images; the electromagnetic positioning tracking module is used for acquiring a movement track of the composite intravascular imaging conduit module inside blood vessels, and used for transmitting the movement track to the positioning information processing and composite image presenting module, then correction and fusion of the intravascular images and the positioning information is implemented, and blood vessel spatial information is represented in a virtual endoscope environment. Relatively precise bases are provided for diagnosis on vasculopathy.

An apparatus for intravascular imaging to detect and characterize early stage, unstable coronary arty plaques. The detector works by identifying and localizing plaque-binding beta-emitting radiopharmaceuticals.