Patent ID: 8187191
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
1. A method for providing an equalized ultrasound echo signal for rendering intravascular images comprising: inserting at least a portion of a catheter into a vascular structure; activating a transducer portion of the catheter, said activating of the transducer portion resulting in transmission of an ultrasound signal transmitted toward vascular tissue; acquiring an ultrasound echo signal corresponding to reflections by backscatterers of the ultrasound signal transmitted toward vascular tissue; filtering and amplifying the ultrasound echo signal to remove frequency components that constitute noise; performing a first time-gain compensation on the ultrasound echo signal to accommodate for a drop off in the ultrasound echo signal as a function of distance; and performing a second time-gain compensation on the ultrasound echo signal according to sub-bands within a frequency response spectrum of the ultrasound echo signal, the second time-gain compensation comprising: