SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AND USING INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS WITH PHOTO-ACOUSTIC IMAGING CAPABILITIES

摘要

A catheter assembly for an intravascular ultrasound system includesa catheter (102) and an imaging core (306) disposed in the catheter. Theimaging core includes a rotatable driveshaft (310), at least one light source(308), and at least one transducer (312). The at least one light source isdisposedat a distal end of the rotatable driveshaft. The at least one light source isconfigured and arranged for rotating with the driveshaft and also fortransformingapplied electrical signals to light for illuminating an object in proximity tothe catheter. The at least one transducer is also disposed at the distal endof therotatable driveshaft. The at least one transducer is configured and arrangedforrotating with the driveshaft. The at least one transducer is configured andarrangedfor receiving acoustic signals generated by the object in response toilluminationof the object by the light emitted from the at least one light source.