# US 10,245,007 B2 · High resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,245,007 B2 - Document ID: US10245007B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/967,905 - Filed: 2013-08-15 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: InfraReDx, Inc. - Applicants: InfraReDx, Inc. - Inventors: Zhihua He; David Erickson; Glen McLaughlin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245007B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/085: {for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules} - A61B 8/0891: {for diagnosis of blood vessels} - A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters - A61B 8/445: {Details of catheter construction} - A61B 8/4461: {Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe} - A61B 8/4483: {characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer} - A61B 8/5269: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts} - G01S 7/5202: {for pulse systems} - G01S 7/52036: {using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation} - G01S 7/52077: {with means for elimination of unwanted signals, e.g. noise or interference} - G01S 15/8952: {using discrete, multiple frequencies} - G01S 15/8959: {using coded signals for correlation purposes} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Disclosed is a high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system including a catheter with a rotatable imaging assembly and an image processor. The image processor in turn features a pulser configured to energize the ultrasound transducer of the rotatable imaging assembly with a multi-frequency ultrasound waveform signal. The image processor further contains a receiver configured to decompose received ultrasound energy as reflected by the target vessel into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process these signals and reconstitute these signals into a high resolution image of the blood vessel. The IVUS system of the invention may be useful in characterizing cap thickness of vulnerable plaques or other detailed studies of blood vessels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprising: a catheter configured for percutaneous intravascular insertion, said catheter comprising an elongated body and an imaging assembly contained in the elongated body, said imaging assembly comprising an ultrasonic transducer located at or near a distal end of said catheter and one or more electrical conduits connected to said ultrasonic transducer, said imaging assembly is configured to emit ultrasound energy by said ultrasonic transducer towards a target blood vessel, said imaging assembly is further configured to receive ultrasound energy reflected by the target blood vessel, and an image processor operably coupled with said electrical conduits of said imaging assembly, the image processor comprising a pulser and a receiver, said pulser is configured to energize said ultrasonic transducer with a multi-frequency waveform signal, said receiver is configured to receive and decompose said reflected ultrasound energy into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process said plurality of subband signals, and then reconstitute said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals representing the target blood vessel by non-linearly combining said individually processed plurality of subband signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes a full bandwidth signal and at least one subband signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein said image processor is further configured to clean each of said plurality of subband signals during processing thereof to reduce noise, suppress speckles, and boost a predetermined feature of interest. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein said image processor is further configured to decompose said reflected ultrasound energy using discrete wavelet decomposition principles, and said image processor is further configured to reconstitute said plurality of individual subband signals using discrete wavelet reconstruction principles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein said receiver is configured to decode said received reflected ultrasound energy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes at least two overlapping subbands. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 1, wherein the imaging assembly is a rotatable imaging assembly configured to emit the ultrasound energy by said ultrasonic transducer towards the target blood vessel while rotating about a longitudinal axis of said catheter. ### Claim 8 A method for obtaining a high resolution intravascular ultrasound image using a high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system having an image processor and a catheter configured for percutaneous insertion into a target blood vessel, said method comprising: a. energizing, by a pulser of said image processor, said ultrasonic transducer with a multi-frequency waveform signal, b. emitting, by said ultrasound transducer, ultrasound energy towards said target blood vessel based on said multi-frequency waveform signal, c. receiving, by said ultrasound transducer, ultrasound energy reflected from said target blood vessel, d. decomposing, by a receiver of said image processor, received ultrasound energy into a plurality of individual subband signals, e. individually processing, by said receiver of said image processor, said plurality of subband signals, and f. composing, by said receiver of said image processor, said high resolution intravascular ultrasound image by non-linearly combining said individually processed plurality of subband signals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said step (f) includes combining, by said image processor, said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes a full bandwidth signal and at least one subband signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising cleaning, by said image processor, each of said plurality of subband signals during processing thereof to reduce noise, suppress speckles, and boost a predetermined feature of interest. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said steps (d) and (f) utilize discrete wavelet reconstruction principles. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising decoding, by said receiver of said image processor, said received reflected ultrasound energy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, said plurality of individual subband signals includes at least two overlapping subbands. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising rotating a rotatable imaging assembly of said catheter about a longitudinal axis of said catheter. ### Claim 16 A high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprising: an image processor configured to be operably coupled with one or more electrical conduits of an imaging assembly contained in a catheter configured for percutaneous intravascular insertion, the image processor including: a pulser configured to energize an ultrasonic transducer of said imaging assembly with a multi-frequency waveform signal, the ultrasonic transducer being located at or near a distal end of said catheter and configured to emit ultrasound energy towards a target blood vessel; and a receiver configured to receive and decompose ultrasound energy reflected by said target blood vessel and received by said imaging assembly into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process said plurality of subband signals, and then reconstitute said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals representing the target blood vessel by non-linearly combining said individually processed plurality of subband signals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes at least two overlapping subbands. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 16, wherein the imaging assembly is a rotatable imaging assembly configured to emit the ultrasound energy towards the target blood vessel while rotating about a longitudinal axis of said catheter, which comprises an elongated body. ### Claim 19 A high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprising: a catheter configured for percutaneous intravascular insertion, said catheter comprising an elongated body and an imaging assembly contained in the elongated body, said imaging assembly comprising an ultrasonic transducer located at or near a distal end of said catheter and one or more electrical conduits connected to said ultrasonic transducer, said imaging assembly is configured to emit ultrasound energy by said ultrasonic transducer towards a target blood vessel, said imaging assembly is further configured to receive ultrasound energy reflected by the target blood vessel, and an image processor operably coupled with said electrical conduits of said imaging assembly, the image processor comprising a pulser and a receiver, said pulser is configured to energize said ultrasonic transducer with a multi-frequency waveform signal, said receiver is configured to receive and decompose said reflected ultrasound energy into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process said plurality of subband signals, and then reconstitute said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals representing the target blood vessel, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes a full bandwidth signal and at least one subband signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system of claim 19, wherein said image processor is configured to reconstitute said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals by linearly combining said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals. ### Claim 21 A method for obtaining a high resolution intravascular ultrasound image using a high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system having an image processor and a catheter configured for percutaneous insertion into a target blood vessel, said method comprising: a. energizing, by a pulser of said image processor, said ultrasonic transducer with a multi-frequency waveform signal; b. emitting, by said ultrasound transducer, ultrasound energy towards said target blood vessel based on said multi-frequency waveform signal; c. receiving, by said ultrasound transducer, ultrasound energy reflected from said target blood vessel; d. decomposing, by a receiver of said image processor, received ultrasound energy into a plurality of individual subband signals, wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes a full bandwidth signal and at least one subband signal; e. individually processing, by said receiver of said image processor, said plurality of subband signals; and f. composing, by said receiver of said image processor, said high resolution intravascular ultrasound image based on said individually processed plurality of subband signals. ### Claim 22 A high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprising: an image processor configured to be operably coupled with one or more electrical conduits of an imaging assembly contained in a catheter configured for percutaneous intravascular insertion, the image processor including: a pulser configured to energize an ultrasonic transducer of said imaging assembly with a multi-frequency waveform signal, the ultrasonic transducer being located at or near a distal end of said catheter and configured to emit ultrasound energy towards a target blood vessel; and a receiver configured to receive and decompose ultrasound energy reflected by said target blood vessel and received by said imaging assembly into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process said plurality of subband signals, and then reconstitute said plurality of subband signals into one or more imaging signals representing the target blood vessel; wherein said plurality of individual subband signals includes a full bandwidth signal and at least one subband signal.