CATHETER ARRAY FOR MECHANICAL IMAGING OF CORONARY ARTERY

近5年来，血管内成像技术取得了很大进展 冠状动脉 这是这项建议的基本前提， 然而，当前血管内成像设备可以显著地 改进和扩展以提供不仅仅是诊断信息。 特别地，组织硬度的图像（即，弹性）可以提供 关键的反馈，以指导治疗和预测的可能性， 最终再狭窄。 实际上，这样的弹性图像可以允许 临床医生在进行基于导管的手术时“感觉”动脉壁 程序. 为了生成冠状动脉的机械图像， 系统必须集成到受控的机械变形装置中 驻留在血管的内腔中。 超声成像仪建议用于 该装置是基于导管的阵列系统， 仅使用单个连接在大景深上的超声波束 在导管头端和成像控制台之间。 虽然简单的在 建设，它有可能产生高分辨率的图像， 冠状血管 阵列换能器被放置在常规的 球囊血管成形术导管，其中球囊与成像相交 飞机 通过减慢和持续变形动脉壁， 在与导管阵列同时成像的同时，可以将数据 获取以成像壁的弹性特性。 由于弹性 与人类的触觉很好地相关，机械图像可以允许 临床医生在诊断期间“触诊”冠状血管， 治疗程序。 作为拟议研究计划的一部分， 该系统包括运动伪影、特定图像重建 算法，变形测量和定制探头，将得到解决。 本提案的主要目标之一是建立一个 原型系统展示了机械成像的能力， 冠状动脉

Great progress has been made in the last 5 years in intravascular imaging of coronary arteries. It is the fundamental premise of this proposal, however, that current intravascular imaging devices can be dramatically improved and extended to provide more than diagnostic information alone. In particular, images of tissue hardness (i.e., elasticity) may provide critical feedback to both guide therapy and predict the likelihood of eventual restenosis. In effect, such elasticity images may allow the clinician to "feel" the arterial wall while performing catheter based procedures. To generate mechanical images of coronary arteries, an ultrasound imaging system must be integrated into a controlled mechanical deformation device resident in the lumen of the vessel. The ultrasound imager proposed for this device is a catheter based array system that can dynamically focus an ultrasound beam over a large depth of field using only a single connection between the catheter tip and the imaging console. Although simple in construction, it has the potential to produce high resolution images of coronary vessels. The array transducer is placed within a conventional balloon angioplasty catheter, where the balloon intersects the imaging plane. By slowing and continuously deforming the arterial wall with the balloon while simultaneously imaging with the catheter array, data can be acquired to image the elastic properties of the wall. Since elasticity correlates well with the human sense of touch, mechanical images may allow the clinician to "palpate" coronary vessels during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. As part of the proposed research plan, all technical issues related to this system, including motion artifacts, specific image reconstruction algorithms, deformation measurements and custom probes, will be addressed. It is one of the primary objectives of this proposal to construct a prototype system demonstrating the capabilities of mechanical imaging of coronary arteries.