Method and apparatus for applying synthetic aperture focusing techniques to a catheter based system for high frequency ultrasound imaging of small vessels
Patent 5186177 Issued on February 16, 1993. Estimated Expiration Date: 
December 5, 2011. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
December 5, 2011. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesUltra-thin acoustic transducer and balloon catheter using same in imaging array subassembly High frequency focused ultrasonic transducer for invasive tissue characterization Apparatus and method for imaging small cavities Ultrasonic imaging device in which electroacoustic transducers are disposed on a convex probe Patent #: 5027659 InventorsApplicationNo. 803242 filed on 12/05/1991US Classes:600/463, With acoustical or display imaging600/447, Electronic array scanning600/467IntravascularExaminersPrimary: Jaworski, Francis J.Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassA61B 008/12AbstractA catheter based ultrasound imaging system is disclosed which is capable of providing images of coronary vessels at frequencies near 50 MHz. The catheter based system implements a Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) by scanning through a miniature ultrasound transducer array to sequentially select and fully multiplex a subset of array elements to operate as a sub-aperture of the total synthetic aperture on each firing; thus reducing the number of required catheter interconnections. Each synthetic aperture array is dynamically and retrospectively focused to accommodate precision imaging at high frequency without conventional signal to noise losses. | |
