56 results about "Artery walls" patented technology

Methods and apparatuses for positioning medical devices onto (or close to) a desired portion of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as for scan imaging, for photodynamic therapy and / or for optical temperature measurement. In one embodiment, a catheter assembly has a distal portion that can be changed from a configuration suitable for traversing the internal channel to another configuration suitable for scan at least a spiral section of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as an artery. In one example, the distal portion spirals into gentle contact with (or close to) a spiral section of the artery wall for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanning. The spiral radius may be changed through the use of a guidewire, a tendon, a spiral balloon, a tube, or other ways.

The present invention is an atherectomy catheter with a hollow head. The head has a window with at least one internal bladed edge, a plunger, and an adjustable angle nose. The angle of the nose can be manipulated by the operator to apply pressure to an artery wall, thereby forcing the window and the window cutting edge up against a plaque target on the opposite side of the artery wall. The position of the plunger can be manipulated by the operator to open or close the window, thereby exposing or not exposing the bladed window edge, and optionally also pinching off dangling plaque fragments. Cut plaque enters the hollow catheter head through the open window, and is stored inside the catheter for removal from the body and subsequent analysis. In some embodiments, the catheter head may have optional sensors, or the plunger may also serve as a rotary cutter.

A method and apparatus for automatically detecting stent struts in an image is disclosed whereby the inner boundary, or lumen, of an artery wall is first detected automatically and intensity profiles along rays in the image are determined. In one embodiment, detection of the lumen boundary may be accomplished, for example, by evolving a geometric shape, such as an ellipse, using a region-based algorithm technique, a geodesic boundary-based algorithm technique or a combination of the two techniques. Once the lumen boundary has been determined, in another embodiment, the stent struts are detected using a ray shooting algorithm whereby a ray is projected outward in the OCT image starting from the position in the image of the OCT sensor. The intensities of the pixels along the ray are used to detect the presence of a stent strut in the image.

Device for carrying out and monitoring an atherectomy, with which a cutting knife driven in a rotating manner by an external unit and set back to project into an opening in the tip of the catheter can be pressed onto the artery wall by means of an inflatable balloon arranged on the side of the catheter casing opposite the window opening, an atherectomy catheter being connected to an OCT catheter to form an integrated unit.

A method and apparatus for automatically detecting stent struts in an image is disclosed whereby the inner boundary, or lumen, of an artery wall is first detected automatically and intensity profiles along rays in the image are determined. In one embodiment, detection of the lumen boundary may be accomplished, for example, by evolving a geometric shape, such as an ellipse, using a region-based algorithm technique, a geodesic boundary-based algorithm technique or a combination of the two techniques. Once the lumen boundary has been determined, in another embodiment, the stent struts are detected using a ray shooting algorithm whereby a ray is projected outward in the OCT image starting from the position in the image of the OCT sensor. The intensities of the pixels along the ray are used to detect the presence of a stent strut in the image.

A method of quantifying plaques imaged by cardiac computed tomography angiography (“CCTA”) scan data. Calcified and non-calcified component thresholds are determined based at least in part on attenuation values of a pool of blood in the CCTA scan data. An epicardial fat threshold is determined and used to classify epicardial fat in the CCTA scan data. A portion of CCTA scan data positioned between a detected outer boundary of the coronary artery and a portion classified as lumen is classified as arterial wall. NCP and CP seeds are identified in the arterial wall portion. Portions of the CCTA scan data continuous with a NCP seed and having attenuation values greater than an artery wall value and less than the NCP threshold are classified as NCP, and portions of the CCTA scan data continuous with the CP seed and having attenuation values greater than the CP threshold are classified as CP.

An artery blockage removal system including a hollow plastic tube with IR optical fibers extending longitudinally between its inner and outer walls, the end of the tube having a metal clad tip ring preferably of gold abutting against the end of the IR optical fibers, and the outer surface of the hollow plastic tube having curved arterial guards molded into its outer circumference to hold the inner walls of the artery away from the hollow plastic tube and metal clad tip ring to avoid physical and thermal damage to the inner artery walls, whereby arterial blockage is removed through application of the metal clad tip ring heated by the IR optical fibers and a vacuum applied through the center of the hollow tubing.

An artery blockage removal system including a hollow plastic tube with IR optical fibers extending longitudinally between its inner and outer walls, the end of the tube having a metal clad tip ring preferably of gold abutting against the end of the IR optical fibers, and the outer surface of the hollow plastic tube having curved arterial guards molded into its outer circumference to hold the inner walls of the artery away from the hollow plastic tube and metal clad tip ring to avoid physical and thermal damage to the inner artery walls, whereby arterial blockage is removed through application of the metal clad tip ring heated by the IR optical fibers and a vacuum applied through the center of the hollow tubing.

A method of quantifying plaques imaged by cardiac computed tomography angiography (“CCTA”) scan data. Calcified and non-calcified component thresholds are determined based at least in part on attenuation values of a pool of blood in the CCTA scan data. An epicardial fat threshold is determined and used to classify epicardial fat in the CCTA scan data. A portion of CCTA scan data positioned between a detected outer boundary of the coronary artery and a portion classified as lumen is classified as arterial wall. NCP and CP seeds are identified in the arterial wall portion. Portions of the CCTA scan data continuous with a NCP seed and having attenuation values greater than an artery wall value and less than the NCP threshold are classified as NCP, and portions of the CCTA scan data continuous with the CP seed and having attenuation values greater than the CP threshold are classified as CP.

An apparatus and method for determining the apparent intima-media thickness (IMT) of arteries through acquisition and analysis of ultrasound images comprising an array of pixel intensities. A datum, or datums, may be established across multiple columns of pixels bounding the portion of the image containing either the lumen / intima boundary, the media / adventitia boundary, or both. The datums may be approximate the shape of one more of the lumen, intima, media, and adventitia. Within a bounded portion of the image, a method may search for intensity gradients having characteristics indicating the gradients represent probable locations of the lumen / intima and media / adventitia boundaries. An IMT measurement is calculated based on the location of the lumen / intima and media / adventitia boundaries. An IMT measurement may be adjusted for sloping or tapering of an artery wall.

The present invention is an atherectomy catheter with a hollow head. The head has a window with at least one internal bladed edge, a plunger, and an adjustable angle nose. The angle of the nose can be manipulated by the operator to apply pressure to an artery wall, thereby forcing the window and the window cutting edge up against a plaque target on the opposite side of the artery wall. The position of the plunger can be manipulated by the operator to open or close the window, thereby exposing or not exposing the bladed window edge, and optionally also pinching off dangling plaque fragments. Cut plaque enters the hollow catheter head through the open window, and is stored inside the catheter for removal from the body and subsequent analysis. In some embodiments, the catheter head may have optional sensors, or the plunger may also serve as a rotary cutter.

The present invention relates to systems and methods used in the measurement of arterial tissue. Optical probes in accordance with the invention use optical fibers to deliver and collect light using a sidelooking catheter. Diffused white light and fluorescence scattering is collected and processed to provide for improved artery wall diagnosis.

There is disclosed a miniature blood rheology measurement device and a blood rheology measurement method which are capable of performing measurement of a portion such as a wrist or a fingertip with a high precision and which are simple without requiring measurement of a blood pressure. The method: detects an artery blood flow rate, a pulsatile displacement, an artery diameter, an artery wall thickness, a heartbeat frequency, and a phase difference or an amplitude ratio of the blood flow rate and the pulsatile displacement, which change with elapse of time, by use of a sensor including ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves between the surface of a living body and an artery blood flow in the living body; and calculates a blood kinematic viscosity by use of one of the phase difference and the amplitude ratio, the blood vessel diameter, and the heartbeat frequency to obtain an index value of a blood rheology.

Image and video processing using multi-scale amplitude-modulation frequency-modulation (“AM-FM”) demodulation where a multi-scale filterbank with bandpass filters that correspond to each scale are used to calculate estimates for instantaneous amplitude, instantaneous phase, and instantaneous frequency. The image and video are reconstructed using the instantaneous amplitude and instantaneous frequency estimates and variable-spacing local linear phase and multi-scale least square reconstruction techniques. AM-FM demodulation is applicable in imaging modalities such as electron microscopy, spectral and hyperspectral devices, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”), positron emission tomography (“PET”), histology, color and monochrome images, molecular imaging, radiographs (“X-rays”), computer tomography (“CT”), and others. Specific applications include fingerprint identification, detection and diagnosis of retinal disease, malignant cancer tumors, cardiac image segmentation, atherosclerosis characterization, brain function, histopathology specimen classification, characterization of anatomical structure such as carotid artery walls and plaques or cardiac motion and as the basis for computer-aided diagnosis to name a few.

A device is provided for piercing a graft and artery wall in order to retain the graft on the artery. The device has a central section with an abutment surface for contacting the inner wall of the graft and two elongate members with distal ends for contacting the outer wall of the artery when the device is pierced through the graft and artery. The elongate members are biased so as to urge the abutment surface into the graft and retain the graft on the artery.

An optical technique to improve the imaging of a target inside suspensions of scattering particles includes the illumination of the scattering particles with circularly polarized light. The backscattered light from the host medium preserves the helicity of incident light, while the backscattered light reflected from the target is predominated with light of opposite helicity. Based on the observed helicity difference in the emerging light that originated at the target and that backscattered from the medium, the present optical technique improves the image contrast using circular polarization. This approach makes use of polarization memory which leads to the reflected light from the target accompanied by weak diffusive backscattered light. Using the present technique, improved imaging of the artery wall is achieved and plaque composition can be assessed through a blood field associated with the artery. The scattering from the particles, such as red blood cells, in the blood is reduced due to polarization memory. The present invention can be also applied to other biomedical application, as well as image targets through adverse environmental conditions, such as fog, clouds, smoke, murky water, etc.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic viewing system, for displaying images of an artery using a curved array of transducer elements, comprising means for acquiring (51) of an ultrasonic image sequence and a Doppler color sequence of a segment of artery explored along its longitudinal axis and having walls moving in relation with the cardiac cycle; and comprising processing means for: estimating the velocity and motion amplitude (53, 54, 55) of the artery walls along Doppler color ultrasound scanning lines; estimating the motion amplitude (58) of the artery walls along lines perpendicular to the artery global axis; and further comprising: display means for displaying (60) curves of this last artery wall amplitude on a dedicated display on which the user may have interaction. The invention further relates to an image processing method having steps to be carried out using this system.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic image processing system, for processing images in an image sequence representing a segment of artery explored along its longitudinal axis, said artery segment showing moving walls; this system comprising: acquisition means (21) for acquiring an ultrasonic image sequence of a segment of artery explored along its longitudinal axis and having walls moving in relation with the cardiac cycle; semi-automatic detection means (22) for detecting the artery walls in an image of the sequence; automatic rigid tracking means (23) for tracking the corresponding artery walls in other images of the sequence; evaluation means (24) for evaluating the artery wall motion and distensibility; and viewing means (154) for visualizing images. The invention further relates to an ultrasound examination apparatus having a curved array of transducer elements and coupled to this system, having viewing means to visualize the images.

A device for retaining a graft on an artery, comprising a first part for contacting the graft and a second part for contacting the artery when the device is pierced radially through the graft and the artery wall, the first and second parts being connected by a resilient member, wherein the resilient member biases the first and second parts towards each other into a retaining configuration such that in use the artery and the graft are retained together between the first and second parts of the device, and wherein the first and second parts are moveable into an open configuration in which they are further apart than in the retaining configuration to enable the device to be conveyed along an artery.

An intravascular dilator includes a central body acting as deflector o the blood flow to increase the value of shear stress to the artery wall. Flexible spires soldered to the deflector are radially extensible from a first diameter substantially equal to the deflector diameter to a second diameter greater than the artery diameter, the spires rest against the artery internal wall in operative position.

The invention discloses an external hoop for blood vessels. The external hoop for the blood vessels comprises a first annular film and a support, wherein the first annular film is provided with an opening along an annular axial direction; and the support is fixed on the inner wall or the outer wall of the first annular film. The external hoop for the blood vessels can also comprise a second annular film, wherein the support is arranged between the first annular film and the second annular film. The external hoop for the blood vessels can clamp brittle vascular walls between the external hoop for the blood vessels and a covered stent so as to achieve the effect of protecting the vascular walls at sutures; and during suturing, artificial blood vessels, the covered stent, human blood vessels and the external hoop for the blood vessels are sutured together, so that the risk of tearing an artery wall during suturing is reduced, the re-tearing of the artery wall and haemorrhage caused by the re-tearing of the artery wall can also be avoided after suturing, and the problems caused by directly suturing the artificial blood vessels, the human blood vessels and the covered stent in the prior art are solved.

A method for treating a patient diagnosed with a cardio-renal disease or disorder, the method comprising selecting a span of a renal artery having a first internal diameter, an artery wall; selecting a self-expanding stent having a cylindrical outer surface, the stent being configured to have a first external diameter in an unexpanded condition and being capable of expanding to have a second external diameter; implanting the stent in the span of the renal artery, and applying pressure to the at least one renal nerve with the stent, thereby at least partially modulating a function of the at least one renal nerve; then, reducing an elastic modulus of the stent when the stent has the second external diameter.

An easy-to-handle sphygmomanometer used to measure a blood pressure based on the vibration of an artery wall caused by artery pulsation due to a variation in pressure of a cuff. The sphygmomanometer comprises a cuff band connected to a sphygmomanometer body through a tube, a display part for displaying the measured results of blood pressure, and an air feed part detachable from the sphygmomanometer body and feeding air to the cuff band for pressurization. The air feed part is threaded to the sphygmomanometer body by a thread structure, and maintains its threaded state by a crimping ring. Also, the air feed part comprises a filter for preventing dirt from entering the sphygmomanometer body.

An aortic artery measuring probe, device and a method of measuring the diameter of the aortic artery are provided. The aortic artery measuring device includes the aortic artery measuring probe and a signal processing module electrically connected to the aortic artery measuring probe. The aortic artery measuring probe includes a flexible substrate and a sensor array disposed thereon, wherein the sensor array includes M×N ultra-wideband sensors. The ultra-wideband sensors is positioned on a subject and the flexible substrate is deformed to a profile conforming to the profile of the subject. The ultra-wideband sensors transmit a radio wave into the subject and then the radio wave is reflected by a tissue interface of the artery wall of the aortic artery to form a reflected signal. The ultra-wideband sensors receive the reflected signal and the signal processing module analyzes the reflected signal to define the diameter of the aortic artery.

Device for carrying out and monitoring an atherectomy, with which a cutting knife driven in a rotating manner by an external unit and set back to project into an opening in the tip of the catheter can be pressed onto the artery wall by means of an inflatable balloon arranged on the side of the catheter casing opposite the window opening, an atherectomy catheter being connected to an OCT catheter to form an integrated unit.

An aortic artery measuring probe, device and a method of measuring the diameter of the aortic artery are provided. The aortic artery measuring device includes the aortic artery measuring probe and a signal processing module electrically connected to the aortic artery measuring probe. The aortic artery measuring probe includes a flexible substrate and a sensor array disposed thereon, wherein the sensor array includes M×N ultra-wideband sensors. The ultra-wideband sensors is positioned on a subject and the flexible substrate is deformed to a profile conforming to the profile of the subject. The ultra-wideband sensors transmit a radio wave into the subject and then the radio wave is reflected by a tissue interface of the artery wall of the aortic artery to form a reflected signal. The ultra-wideband sensors receive the reflected signal and the signal processing module analyzes the reflected signal to define the diameter of the aortic artery.

A computer 12 of an image processing apparatus 11 acquires ultrasound B-mode images of consecutive frames to estimate a carotid artery wall at a carotid artery minor axis cross section included in an ultrasound B-mode image of a predetermined frame. The computer 12 also uses, as a template image, the ultrasound B-mode image, which includes the estimated carotid artery wall and surrounding tissues of the carotid artery wall and estimates the size of the diameter of the carotid artery wall so as to minimize a margin of error between a transformed template image, which is created by transforming the template image, and the acquired ultrasound B-mode image of each frame, thereby acquiring the time change of the carotid artery wall.

Provided is an ultrasound diagnostic device which is configured to be connectable to an ultrasound probe, and with which IMT of a carotid artery wall is measured, comprising: a transmission unit which supplies to an ultrasound probe a transmission signal for causing the ultrasound probe to transmit ultrasound along a longitudinal cross-section of a carotid artery; a receiving unit which receives a signal based on the reflected ultrasound which the ultrasound probe receives from the carotid artery and generates a received signal; a blood vessel characteristic computation unit which, on the basis of the received signal, extracts location information which includes a location of each part which configures the carotid artery wall and / or a relative relation between the locations, and detects a boundary location between the common carotid artery and the bulb of the carotid artery on the basis of the longitudinal change of the carotid artery of the location information; an ROI establishment unit which, using the boundary location as a reference, establishes an ROI which defines the measurement range for measuring the IMT; and an IMT measurement unit which measures the IMT of the blood vessel wall which is included in the ROI.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a sphygmomanometer that is easy to use. The sphygmomanometer according to the present invention measures blood pressure in accordance with an oscillation in an artery wall, resulting from an arterial pulse correspondent with a change in cuff pressure. It comprises a cuff that is connected to the sphygmomanometer main body by a tube, a display unit for displaying the results of blood pressure measurements, and an air supply unit for supplying air to, and thus pressurizing, the cuff, which is detachable from the sphygmomanometer main body. The air supply unit is screwed into the sphygmomanometer main body with a screw assembly, and the screwed-in state is preserved by a caulking ring. The air supply unit also comprises a filter for keeping dust from entering the sphygmomanometer main body.