Apparatus, systems, and methods of in-vivo blood clearing in a lumen
AssigneeLightLab Imaging, Inc.
InventorsNeil Judell, Robert Steinbrecher, Joel Friedman, Christopher L. Petersen
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Abstract
In one aspect, the invention relates to a computer-implemented method of triggering optical coherence tomography data collection. The method includes collecting optical coherence tomography data with respect to a vessel using an optical coherence tomography probe disposed in the vessel; determining a clearing radius and a quality value for each frame of optical coherence tomography data collected for the vessel using a computer; determining if a blood clearing state has occurred using at least one clearing radius and at least one quality value; and generating a trigger signal in response to the blood clearing state.
Claims29
A computer-implemented method of triggering optical coherence tomographic data collection in a vessel, the method comprising:
- collecting optical coherence tomography data with respect to a location in the vessel using an optical coherence tomography probe disposed in the vessel;
- determining, using a computer, an approximation of an actual radius of the vessel;
- determining, using a computer, a parameter indicative of blood clearing for one or more frames of the optical coherence tomography data using the approximation of the actual radius of the vessel;
- determining if a blood clearing state has occurred using the parameter;
- and
- generating a trigger signal in response to the blood clearing state occurring.
A computer system for triggering optical coherence tomography data collection, the computer system comprising:
- an electronic memory device and
- an electronic processor in communication with the memory device, wherein the memory device comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
- determine a plurality of line radius values using optical coherence tomography data collected with respect to a vessel;
- determine a clearing radius for a plurality of frames of optical coherence tomography data using one or more of the line radius values;
- determine a quality metric using the clearing radius and a distribution of light scattering about the vessel wall;
- determine if a blood clearing state has occurred using the quality metric;
- and
- generate a trigger signal in response to the blood clearing state occurring.
An optical coherence tomography data collection system comprising
- a processor;
- and
- an optical coherence tomography probe comprising a rotatable optical fiber, wherein the processor is programmed to:
- determine an approximate radius of a blood vessel;
- determine a distribution of light scattered from the vessel wall to the optical coherence tomography probe;
- determine a blood clearing state in response to the approximate radius of the blood vessel and the distribution of light;
- and
- trigger a pullback of the optical coherence tomography probe through the vessel in response to the blood clearing state occurring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.