Multimodal Intravascular Catheter for Plaque Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intravascular imaging technologies, such as angiography, IVUS, and OCT, face limitations in accurately distinguishing between different types of atherosclerotic plaques and assessing their vulnerability, particularly due to rotational isotropy issues, limited spatial resolution, and the inability to penetrate blood, which can lead to missed or underestimated narrowing and incomplete characterization of plaque composition.
Innovation Solution
A multimodal intravascular catheter system that combines NIR, IVUS, OCT, and a flow wire, allowing for simultaneous or serial use of multiple diagnostic modalities during a single procedure, providing comprehensive data for therapy decisions by integrating chemical and structural information, including position detection capabilities for accurate spatial co-registration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If angiography is used to visualize vessel lumen, then vessel narrowing can be detected, but rotational isotropy limitations cause underestimation or missing of narrowing areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple imaging modalities (IVUS, OCT, NIR spectroscopy) into a single integrated catheter system. This merging allows simultaneous acquisition of structural and compositional information from multiple viewpoints, resolving the rotational isotropy limitation of single-view angiography while maintaining measurement precision for vessel narrowing detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional angiographic imaging to three-dimensional intravascular imaging by rotating the catheter tip to acquire circumferential scans. This dimensional change enables comprehensive visualization of vessel narrowing from all angles, eliminating underestimation caused by single-view projection.
2Measurement precision
If IVUS is used to obtain structural information of vessel wall, then tissue characteristics can be visualized, but limited spatial resolution prevents detailed plaque composition characterization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges IVUS structural imaging with OCT high-resolution imaging and NIR spectroscopic analysis in a single catheter system. This combination compensates for IVUS's limited spatial resolution by incorporating OCT's superior resolution and NIR's chemical composition data, thereby recovering detailed plaque composition information that would be lost with IVUS alone.
3Measurement precision
If OCT is used to achieve high spatial resolution imaging, then detailed vessel wall structure can be obtained, but blood penetration limitation prevents imaging through blood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transparent medium (saline or contrast agent) as an intermediary between the OCT transducer and the vessel wall. This intermediary displaces blood from the imaging field, eliminating blood's harmful scattering and absorption effects on optical signals, thereby enabling high-resolution OCT imaging through the vessel wall.
4Loss of information
If multiple diagnostic modalities are used separately, then comprehensive data can be obtained, but multiple procedures increase patient exposure to contrast and x-rays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple diagnostic modalities (IVUS, OCT, NIR spectroscopy, and flow wire measurements) into a single multimodal catheter system that can be deployed in one procedure. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate procedures, thereby reducing patient exposure to contrast agents and x-rays while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic data acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal catheter system capable of performing multiple diagnostic functions simultaneously. The single catheter incorporates transducers and sensors for structural imaging, compositional analysis, and hemodynamic measurement, allowing all diagnostic modalities to be executed in one procedure rather than requiring multiple specialized procedures.
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
Enhances diagnostic accuracy by identifying arterial abnormalities such as positive remodeling, thin caps, and necrotic cores, improving the likelihood of positive patient outcomes by providing a more comprehensive dataset for treatment decisions, including stenting or CABG.
Implementation Method 1
NIRS utilizes an intravascular optical catheter which, similarly to IVUS, is driven by a pullback and rotation unit that simultaneously rotates the catheter head around its longitudinal axis while withdrawing the catheter head through the region of the blood vessel of interest
Implementation Method 2
IVUS employs a specially designed catheter, with an acoustic transducer at the distal tip, to send and receive ultrasonic signals. Ultrasonic waves are back scattered by human tissue. The strength of the back scatter is a function of tissue properties, including density.
Implementation Method 3
OCT depends on the scattering of light by tissue and uses the coherence properties of light, for example, using a Michelson interferometer, to determine the distance at which a scattering event occurred.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems for intravascular analysis combine at least three analytical modalities. In one implementation, intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, and near infrared spectroscopy are combined to enable detection of multiple, different abnormalities in the arterial morphology during a single intravascular procedure.