X-IVUS: Integrated x-ray and IVUS system for the Cathlab

摘要

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty is currently the preferred method for coronary artery disease treatment. Angiograms depict residual lumen, but lack information about plaque characteristics and exact geometry. During instrument positioning, intracoronary characterization at the current instrument location is desirable. By pulling back an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) probe through a stenosis, cross-sections of the artery are acquired. These images can provide the desired characterization if they are properly registered to diagnostic angiograms or interventional fluoroscopies. The method we propose acquires fluoroscopy frames at the beginning, end, and optionally during a constant speed pullback. The IVUS probe is localized and registered to previously acquired angiograms using a compensation algorithm for heartbeat and respiration. Then, for each heart phase, the pullback path is interpolated and the corresponding IVUS frames are positioned. During the intervention the instrument is localized and registered onto the pullback path. Thus, each IVUS frame can be registered with a position on an angiogram or to an instrument location and during subsequent steps of the intervention the appropriate IVUS frames can be displayed as if an IVUS probe were present at the instrument position. The method was tested using a phantom featuring respiratory and contraction movement and an automatic pullback with constant speed . The IVUS acquisition was replaced by fibre optics and the phantom was imaged in angiographic and fluoroscopic modes. The study showed that for the phantom case it is indeed possible to register the IVUS cross-section to the interventional instrument positions to an accuracy of less than 2mm.