Abstract:
A system and method is provided for substantially synchronizing the acquisition of blood-vessel data to an identifiable portion of heartbeat data. Specifically, a data-gathering device is adapted to acquire heartbeat data and blood-vessel data from a heart-monitoring device and a data-gathering probe, respectively. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blood-vessel data is acquired during a cyclical portion of the heartbeat data. By identifying a cyclical (or commonly reoccurring) portion of the heartbeat data and acquiring blood-vessel data during this cyclical portion (or during an interval that substantially corresponds thereto), the blood vessel can be analyzed as if it were standing still -- i.e., not expanding and relaxing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the heart-monitoring device includes an EKG device, the data-gathering device includes an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device and a computing device, and the data-gathering probe includes at least one transducer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the data-gathering system further includes a retraction device adapted to move the data-gathering probe though a blood vessel at a substantially steady speed.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for using ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the transfer function of a catheter. In one embodiment of the present invention, a computing device is electrically connected to a catheter and used to acquire R backscattered data from a vascular structure. The backscattered ultrasound data is then used with an algorithm to estimate transfer function(s) which is used to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. In another embodiment, an IVUS console is electrically connected to a catheter and a computing device is used to acquire backscattered data from a vascular structure. The backscattered data is then transmitted to the computing device, where it is used to estimate the catheter's transfer function and to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. The response data and the histology data are then used to characterize at least a portion of the vascular tissue.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for using a first vascular (20) image, or more particularly a plurality of control points (22) located thereon, to identify a border (64) on a second vascular image. Embodiments of the present invention operate in accordance with an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device and a computing device electrically connected thereto. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an IVUS console is electrically connected to a computing device and adapted to acquire IVUS data. The IVUS data (or multiple sets thereof) is then provided to (or acquired by) the computing device (120). In one embodiment of the present invention, the computing device includes a plurality of applications operating thereon -- i.e., a border-detection application (122), an extrapolation application (124), and an active-contour application (126). These applications are used to (i) identify a border and control points on a first IVUS image (i.e., any IVUS image), (ii) extrapolate the control points to a second IVUS image (i.e., another IVUS image), (iii) identify a border on the second IVUS image, and (iv) adjust the border on the second IVUS image in accordance with at least one factor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one factor is selected from a group consisting of gradient factor, continuity factor, and curvature factor.
Abstract:
A method includes determining team participant members for one or more wellness teams. The method includes aggregating participant medical data for each of the one or more wellness teams from one or more networked physiologic stations configured to receive the medical data. The method includes analyzing the medical data to determine wellness information for the one or more wellness teams associated with the aggregated participant medical data. The method can be operated on a system where the system includes at least one physiologic station to generate participant medical information from a plurality of participants. This can include an identification component to facilitate trust in collected data. A storage medium collects the medical information over a network from the plurality of participants and an analyzer determines group wellness information from the collected medical information.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for using the frequency spectrum of a radio frequency (RF) signal backscattered from vascular tissue to identify at least one border ( e.g. , tissue interface, etc.) on a vascular image. Embodiments of the present invention operate in accordance with a data gathering device ( e.g. , an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, etc.) electrically connected to a computing device and a transducer via a catheter. The transducer is used to gather radio frequency (RF) data backscattered from vascular tissue. The RF data is then provided to (or acquired by) the computing device via the data-gathering device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the computing device includes (i) at least one data storage device ( e.g. , database, memory, etc.) for storing a plurality of tissue types and parameters related thereto and (ii) at least one application ( e.g. , a characterization application, a gradient-border application, a frequency-border application and/or an active-contour application). The characterization application is used to convert (or transform) the RF data into the frequency domain and to identify a plurality of parameters associated therewith. The identified parameters are then compared to the parameters stored in the data storage device to identify the corresponding tissue type. This information ( e.g. , tissue type, corresponding RF data, etc.) is then used, either alone or together with other border-related information ( e.g. , gradient information, other-border information, etc.), to determine at least one border on a vascular image.
Abstract:
A vascular guidewire system includes a tubular member which at least partially encloses a core wire. A first or distal gripper is connected with a handle to grip a proximal end portion of the tubular member. A second or proximal gripper is disposed in the handle and grips a proximal end portion of the core wire. A first or distal motor is disposed in the handle and is operable to rotate the core wire relative to the outer tubular member. A second or proximal motor is disposed in the handle and is operable to move the first or distal motor longitudinally relative to the handle to thereby move the core wire longitudinally relative to the outer tubular member. The second or proximal motor is disposed in a coaxial relationship with the first or distal motor. Rotational and/or longitudinally directed forces may be manually applied to the handle to move the tubular member and core wire relative to a patient's body.
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for using ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the transfer function of a catheter (including components attached thereto -- e.g., IVUS console, transducer, etc.). Specifically, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a computing device (110) is electrically connected to a catheter (120) and used to acquire RF backscattered data from a vascular structure (e.g., a blood vessel, etc.). The backscattered ultrasound data is then used, together with an algorithm, to estimate the transfer function. The transfer function can then be used (at least in a preferred embodiment) to calculate response data for the vascular tissue (i.e., the tissue component of the backscattered ultrasound data).
Abstract:
A system and method is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic device (120) is used to acquire RF backscattered data (i.e., IVUS data) from a blood vessel. The IVUS data is then transmitted to a computing device (130) and used to create an IVUS image. The blood vessel is then cross-sectioned and used to identify its tissue type and to create a corresponding image (i.e., histology image). A region of interest (ROI), preferably corresponding to the identified tissue type, is then identified on the histology image. The computing device (130), or more particularly, a characterization application (132) operating thereon, is then adapted to identify a corresponding region on the IVUS image. To accurately match the ROI, however, it may be necessary to warp or morph the histology image to substantially fit the contour of the IVUS image. After the corresponding region is identified, the IVUS data that corresponds to this region is identified. Signal processing is then performed and at least one parameter is identified. The identified parameter and the tissue type (e.g., characterization data) is stored in a database (134).