OCT Imaging for Guide Wire Cell Selection in Bifurcated Stents
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Solution Overview
Problem
In endovascular procedures, selecting the appropriate cell for a guide wire to pass through in bifurcated portions of blood vessels is challenging due to the reliance on manual skills, which can lead to deformation of stent cells and poor contact with the vascular wall, especially since the correct cell selection depends on operator experience.
Innovation Solution
An imaging apparatus using optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a swept-source configuration and advanced image processing algorithms to provide guidelines for selecting the appropriate cell by displaying the guide wire route and evaluating cell accessibility, malapposition, and stent strut angles, aiding operators in precise cell selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual skills are used to select a cell for guide wire passage, then the operator can perform the procedure, but the risk of selecting the wrong cell and causing stent deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual selection with automated image processing algorithms that objectively identify accessible cells based on stent strut angles and geometric criteria. The system automatically calculates and displays which cells are suitable for guide wire passage, eliminating reliance on operator experience while maintaining procedural control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate evaluation system that acts as a mediator between the operator and the stent structure. This system processes OCT images, calculates stent strut angles, determines accessible cells, and presents recommendations to the operator, thereby reducing direct operator dependency on subjective judgment.
2Ease of operation
If the wrong cell is selected and deformed by the guide wire, then the guide wire can pass through, but stent strut contact with vascular wall deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary evaluation of all stent cells before guide wire insertion by calculating stent strut angles and identifying accessible cells. This advance analysis allows the operator to pre-select an appropriate cell that guarantees both guide wire passage and maintains stent-vascular wall contact, preventing deformation before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to the operator by displaying which cells are accessible and suitable for guide wire passage based on calculated geometric parameters. This feedback mechanism enables the operator to make informed decisions about cell selection, ensuring that the chosen cell will not compromise stent contact with the vascular wall.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cell selection depends on operator experience, then procedural flexibility is maintained, but measurement precision and reproducibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective operator judgment with objective image processing algorithms that consistently apply the same geometric criteria for evaluating cell accessibility. This substitution maintains procedural flexibility while significantly improving measurement precision and reproducibility across different operators and cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the evaluation of cell accessibility from qualitative operator assessment to quantitative parameter-based determination. By calculating specific geometric parameters such as stent strut angles and using them as criteria for accessibility, the system achieves precise and reproducible results that are independent of operator experience.
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
The solution enables operators to accurately select the appropriate cell for the guide wire to pass through, reducing the risk of stent deformation and improving contact with the vascular wall by providing detailed, real-time imaging and evaluation support.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging apparatus for diagnosis which uses optical interference
Implementation Method 2
The reflection light from the vascular wall is received again via the optical mirror
Implementation Method 3
as an improved type of OCT, a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) apparatus has also been developed
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided an imaging apparatus for diagnosis which reconfigures a cross-sectional image of a blood vessel by emitting light toward a lumen surface of the blood vessel and detecting interference light between the reflected light and reference light. The imaging apparatus for diagnosis identifies a bifurcated portion of the blood vessel, and extracts a stent strut from the cross-sectional image. The imaging apparatus for diagnosis measures an area of a division region in which the identified bifurcated portion is divided by the extracted stent strut, and displays the cross-sectional image and information of the measured area.