Patent ID: 8831321

Claim:
A method of detecting a side branch for a vessel scanned using an imaging probe comprising: storing image data obtained during a pullback through the vessel in a memory device, the image data comprising a plurality of frames, each frame comprising a plurality of scan lines; identifying a first region having a first intensity in a first frame of the plurality of frames; identifying a second region having a second intensity in the first frame of the plurality of frames; identifying a third region having a third intensity in the first frame of the plurality of frames, wherein the first intensity is an average intensity of a first scan line, the second intensity is an average intensity of a second scan line, and the third intensity is an average intensity of a third scan line; comparing the first intensity to the second intensity; comparing the third intensity to the second intensity; and generating an output characterizing the second region as a candidate side branch when the first intensity and the third intensity are both greater than the second intensity.