US 6,200,268 B1 · Vascular plaque characterization

Abstract

A method and system for characterizing plaque components within a vascular object is provided. The vascular object is scanned with an ultrasonic device and backscatter signal data is collected. Histology images are prepared and digitized which correspond to the scanned vascular sections. A plaque component is selected on the histology image and its coordinates are mapped to a corresponding location on an IVUS image constructed from the backscatter signal. The IVUS image location is then translated to the corresponding signal section of the raw backscatter signal. Frequency analysis is performed on the signal section to determine its signal properties. The signal properties are correlated to the selected plaque component of the histology image and stored in a plaque characterization database. The process is then repeated for all plaque components and other tissue types found within the vascular object and stored in the database. With the present invention, the components of the vascular object such as a blood vessel can be identified directly from the raw backscatter signal by matching its signal properties with the signal properties of the database, thus, identifying plaque components or other tissue components in vivo and in real-time.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of identifying components within a vascular object from an ultrasonic signal, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an ultrasonic signal within a selected region of the vascular object and collecting a backscatter signal reflected from the vascular object;
reconstructing an IVUS image of the selected region from the backscatter signal;
preparing a histology image of the selected region of the vascular object, the histology image distinguishing different components of the vascular object;
selecting a region of interest from the histology image, the region of interest representing one component from the different components of the vascular object and being at a coordinate location on the histology image;
mapping the coordinate location to a location on the IVUS image corresponding to the coordinate location;
translating the location on the IVUS image to a signal portion in the backscatter signal corresponding to the location, the signal portion representing a signal signature of the one component of the vascular object;
and
correlating the signal signature to the one component.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vascular plaque characterization

Life of this patent

Vascular plaque characterization

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19