Visualization of reflectors in intraluminal ultrasound images and associated systems, methods, and devices

An apparatus for visualizing a reflector in a blood vessel of a patient, comprising:

• an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging catheter comprising a transducer array;
• and
• a processor circuit communicatively coupled to the IVUS imaging catheter, wherein the processor circuit is configured to:
• receive, from the IVUS imaging catheter, IVUS image signals, wherein a first portion of the IVUS image signals are representative of first echoes produced by a plurality of linear reflectors and second portion of the IVUS image signals are representative of second echoes produced by one or more nonlinear reflectors such that the first portion of the IVUS image signals and the second portion of the IVUS image signals are obtained by the transducer array while positioned at a location along a length of the blood vessel,
• wherein the first echoes produced by the plurality of linear reflectors comprise a first frequency matching a transmit frequency of the IVUS imaging catheter, and
• wherein the second echoes produced by the one or more nonlinear reflectors comprise a second frequency different than the transmit frequency of the IVUS imaging catheter,
• generate a first IVUS image based on the first portion of the IVUS image signals;
• generate a different, second IVUS image based on the second portion of the IVUS image signals;
• and
• output, to a display in communication with the processor circuit, the first IVUS image and the second IVUS image such that the first IVUS image and the second IVUS image are displayed simultaneously and proximate to one another, wherein the first IVUS image and the second IVUS image show the blood vessel at the location where the transducer array was positioned.