Recent Developments in IVUS

In the development of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), a serious emphasis has been given to the improvement of the image quality in terms of resolution. The image quality is indeed a very important issue, but there is a lot more information hidden in the ultrasound signals than is currently exploited by commercially available IVUS equipment. For several years, at the Thorax Centre, we have been exploring the possibilities of analysing sequences of radiofrequency (RF) traces to extend the functionality of the IVUS machines. It gives possibilities for local elasticity assessment, flow estimation and enhanced lumen detection. This paper is an up to date report of where RF-data analysis has taken us.