Dual-mode imaging catheter for intravascular ultrasound

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a well-established diagnostic method that has been applied frequently for providing high-resolution images of vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaques. Side looking transducer has been employed in a catheter for delineating the structure of vessel wall and lesions. However, it is difficult to get the flow distribution in the vessel by side looking transducer as the ultrasound wave is transmitted perpendicularly to the flow. Doppler ultrasound wire has been proposed and applied to measure the flow information. In this study, we propose a new design of dual mode imaging method by combining side looking transducer together with the forward looking Doppler transducer in one catheter. It could be potentially used for the measurement of both morphology and flow information simultaneously in one catheter.