Intravascular ultrasound imaging

#This invention relates to apparatus for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, for example inside a living body.

#Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is widely used in interventional cardiology as a diagnostic tool for a diseased vessel, such as an artery, within the human body to determine the need for treatment, to guide the intervention, and/or to assess its effectiveness.

#To perform an IVUS imaging study, an IVUS catheter that incorporates one or more ultrasound transducers is passed into the vessel and guided to the area to be imaged. The transducers emit and receive ultrasonic energy in order to create an image of the vessel of interest. Ultrasonic waves are partially reflected by discontinuities arising from tissue structures (such as the various layers of the vessel wall), red blood cells, and other features of interest. Echoes from the reflected waves are received by a transducer and passed along to an IVUS imaging system, which is connected to the IVUS catheter by way of a patient interface module (PIM). The imaging system processes the received ultrasound signals to produce a cross-sectional image of the vessel where the device is placed.

#Examples of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1A shows a typical arrangement of an ultrasound catheter which enters the upper leg of a patient;

#FIG. 1B shows that the short catheter length means that a physician may sometimes place the PIM on the patient;

#The invention provides an extension cable which is adapted for use in an intravascular ultrasound system. It has a first connector, for connecting to a catheter and a second connector for connecting to a patient interface module. A cable arrangement provides power transmission, data transmission and data signal processing (amplification or regeneration) between the first and second connectors. The extension cable enables sterility to be maintained in a workflow in a time efficient and easy manner as the catheter to extension cable connection may remain in a sterile environment.

#FIG. 1A shows a typical arrangement of an ultrasound catheter 10 which enters the upper leg of a patient 12. The catheter has an ultrasound probe 11 at its tip. The catheter 10 connects to a patient interface module (PIM) 14 which is attached to a side rail of the patient bed 16. The PIM connects to a back-end processor 18 by electrical cable 20. The line 22 represents the boundary between the sterile environment and the non-sterile environment.

#FIG. 1B shows that the short catheter length (typically 1.5 m) means that physician may sometimes place the PIM 14 on the patient to bring it nearer to the catheter entry point. As the PIM is moved from the non-sterile environment, it has to be encased in a sterile pouch 24.