Intravascular Ultrasound Catheter Transfer Function Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intravascular-ultrasound (IVUS) systems face challenges in accurately determining the catheter's transfer function in real-time and efficiently acquiring and processing blood-vessel data, leading to noise contamination and unnecessary memory usage due to traditional methods of determining the transfer function and synchronizing with heartbeat data.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the catheter's transfer function and synchronizes blood-vessel data acquisition with identifiable portions of heartbeat data, employing a computing device connected to the catheter to process RF backscattered data and filter out noise, allowing for real-time calculation of response data and efficient data acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the transfer function is determined using a perfect reflector outside the patient, then the transfer function can be computed, but it cannot be computed in real-time and requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the transfer function determination process from the external calibration setup and integrates it directly into the intravascular imaging system. By using the catheter itself as the transducer and determining the transfer function from backscattered data acquired during actual imaging, the system eliminates the need for external perfect reflectors and separate calibration equipment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-characterization by using its own backscattered ultrasound data to determine its transfer function. The catheter/transducer system characterizes itself during the imaging process without requiring external calibration tools, enabling real-time transfer function determination and eliminating the need for separate calibration procedures
2Reliability
If large amounts of backscattered data are continuously acquired to image the blood vessel during expansion and relaxation, then complete vascular cycling data is obtained, but unnecessarily large memory devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by synchronizing data acquisition with the cardiac cycle before actual imaging analysis. By using ECG gating to identify specific phases of the cardiac cycle (such as diastole when the vessel is most stable), the system pre-determines which data segments are most valuable for imaging, allowing selective storage and processing of only the necessary data portions rather than continuously storing all backscattered data
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses partial action by acquiring and processing only the portion of backscattered data corresponding to specific cardiac phases that are most suitable for imaging. Instead of utilizing all acquired data, the system selectively processes data from predetermined cardiac cycle portions (e.g., diastolic phase), reducing memory requirements while maintaining imaging reliability
3Ease of operation
If backscattered data is acquired without synchronization to heartbeat data, then data acquisition is simpler, but the blood vessel cannot be imaged in a particular position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using ECG signals to monitor the cardiac cycle and provide real-time synchronization information to the data acquisition system. The ECG-gated feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically identify and lock onto specific phases of the cardiac cycle, ensuring that blood vessel imaging is consistently performed at the same point in the cardiac cycle (e.g., during diastole), thereby maintaining measurement precision while keeping the operation relatively simple through automated synchronization
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables accurate estimation of the catheter's transfer function, reduces noise contamination, and optimizes data acquisition by allowing for the imaging of blood vessels as if they were standing still, thereby improving image resolution and reducing memory requirements.
Implementation Method 1
Acoustic signals are then transmitted and echoes (or backscatter) of the acoustic signals are received. The backscattered ultrasound data ('backscattered data') can be used to identify the type or density of the tissue being scanned.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for using ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the transfer function of a catheter and/or substantially synchronizing the acquisition of blood-vessel data to an identifiable portion of heartbeat data. In one embodiment, a computing device and catheter acquire RF backscattered data from a vascular structure. The backscattered ultrasound data is then used to estimate at least one transfer function. The transfer function(s) can then be used to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. Another embodiment includes an IVUS console connected to a catheter and a computing device that acquires RF backscattered data from a vascular structure. Based on the backscattered data, the computing device estimates the catheter's transfer function and to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. The response data and histology data are then used to characterize at least a portion of the vascular tissue.