Patent ID: 8449465

Claim:
A method of acquiring ultrasound response data for vascular tissue, comprising: inserting at least a portion of a catheter into a vascular structure; activating a transducer portion of said catheter, said activation of said transducer portion resulting in at least two ultrasound signals being transmitted toward vascular tissue; acquiring at least a first set of backscattered ultrasound data from a first portion of said vascular tissue and a second set of backscattered ultrasound data from a second portion of said vascular tissue, the first portion of the vascular tissue being different than the second portion of the vascular tissue such that the first set of backscattered ultrasound data is different than the second set of backscattered ultrasound data; using at least a portion of said first set of backscattered ultrasound data and a first algorithm to estimate a first transfer function of said catheter while said catheter is inside said vascular structure; using at least a portion of said second set of backscattered ultrasound data and said first algorithm to estimate a second transfer function of said catheter while said catheter is inside said vascular structure; and using at least said first transfer function, said second transfer function and a second algorithm to calculate a third transfer function, the second algorithm being a different algorithm than the first algorithm; and using said third transfer function to calculate ultrasound response data for said vascular tissue, wherein said ultrasound response data is (i) indicative of data that is backscattered from said vascular tissue and (ii) substantially independent from ultrasound data modifications resulting from said catheter.