Patent Document ID: 20160078309
Application ID: 14852479
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. An apparatus comprising: an imaging device comprising an optical coherence tomography light source, wherein the imaging device is configured to obtain an image of a lumen via a catheter inserted into the lumen; and a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to perform the following steps used in the evaluation of the image of the lumen: (1) identify the catheter; (2) identify the lumen; (3) obtain a plurality of A-scans and B-scans of the lumen; (4) calculate distances between the catheter and the lumen for each A-scan and the overall mean distance to the catheter (Mean overall ); (5) calculate the average of A-scans closer to the catheter than Mean overall (A closer ) and the average of A-scans further to the catheter than Mean overall (A further ); (6) normalize A closer and A further by the range of values in a B-scan (maximum value−minimum value), A closerN and A furtherN ; and (7) identify bright spots as those pixels in each A-scan that are greater than the corresponding pixels in A closerN or A furtherN , depending on whether the A-scan lumen is closer or further to the catheter compared to Mean overall .