Patent ID: 9017263
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting changes in a density of vasa vasorum of a blood vessel having an axis and a wall with a use of an intravascular ultrasound system (IVUS) configured to produce images and to indicate image pixels representative of a blood flow, the method comprising: emitting bursts of ultrasound energy with a transducer, the transducer being intravascularly positioned along the axis of the blood vessel; detecting, with the transducer, ultrasound echoes produced in response to the emitted bursts of energy by echogenic regions associated with the wall of the blood vessel, the echogenic regions being transverse to the axis at corresponding locations of the transducer along the axis of the blood vessel; forming images from the ultrasound echoes detected at the corresponding locations; analyzing the images to ascertain indicators of a blood flow within the wall of the blood vessel; and assigning density values to the corresponding locations based on comparison among the indicators, the density values representing a change of density of the blood flow within the wall of the blood vessel, wherein said method for detecting is devoid of using a non-native contrast agent in association with the blood vessel and is devoid of acquiring first data representing an ultrasound echo at a first flow of blood in said vessel and second data representing the an ultrasound echo at a second flow of blood in said vessel, the second flow of blood having been altered with respect to the first flow of blood.