Intravascular optical imaging system

Inventors

Wang, Tianshi • Lancee, Charles Theodoor • Van Der Steen, Antonius Franciscus Wilhelmus • Van Soest, Gijs

Assignees

Koninklijke Philips NV

Abstract

A catheter-based optical imaging system for imaging a patient includes a catheter-based imaging device configured to direct optical radiation towards a vessel wall and to receive reflected radiation therefrom. A displacement mechanism is configured to vary the position of the imaging device relative to the catheter as a function of time during an imaging scan. An input is configured to receive cardiac event timing data, such as ECG data, from the patient. A trigger module is configured to initiate an imaging scan based on the cardiac event timing obtained from the cardiac event timing data. By triggering the optical imaging scans between cardiac events, artifacts in the image data can be reduced or eliminated.

Core Innovation

A catheter-based optical imaging system directs optical radiation towards a vessel wall and receives reflected radiation therefrom using a catheter-based imaging device. During an imaging scan, a displacement mechanism varies the position of the imaging device relative to the catheter as a function of time, and cardiac event timing data is received and used by a trigger module to initiate an imaging scan based on the cardiac event timing data.

The imaging device includes an optical element rotatable about the catheter longitudinal axis to generate frames of image data, where each frame corresponds to at least part of a circumferential scan. A longitudinal displacement mechanism drives the optical element along a longitudinal axis of the catheter so successive frames correspond to different longitudinal positions, and the trigger module initiates longitudinal displacement of the optical element by reference to a detected cardiac event.

The system completes a 3D imaging scan comprising the successive frames of the image data within one cardiac cycle defined between two cardiac events identified within the cardiac event timing data. Circumferential frame generation by rotation and longitudinal frame sequencing by displacement are synchronized to the patient cardiac event timing data so the 3D imaging scan is performed within a cardiac-cycle window.

Claims Coverage

The disclosed claim set includes three independent claims: a system in a patient vessel, a method of optical imaging in a vessel, and a catheter-based optical imaging system with an axial-to-radial optical pathway. Across the independent claims, inventive features focus on catheter-based optical imaging directed to a vessel wall and reflected radiation detection, timing and initiation using cardiac event timing data with completion of a 3D imaging scan within one cardiac cycle between two identified cardiac events, and optical element generation of circumferential frames synchronized with longitudinal displacement to produce successive frames at different longitudinal positions; a further independent claim emphasizes the axial optical pathway and distal optical element that directs radiation into a radial optical path and varies that radial direction via rotation, including specified transmissive and reflective interfaces.

Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage centers on synchronizing a catheter-based 3D optical imaging scan using a rotatable optical element for circumferential frame generation and a longitudinal displacement mechanism for successive longitudinal frame positions, with a trigger module that initiates and completes the scan within a single cardiac cycle between two identified cardiac events from patient cardiac event timing data. A separate independent claim further anchors a catheter optical architecture with an axial-to-radial optical pathway and a distal rotatable optical element having first and second transmissive interfaces and a first reflective interface.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications