Importance of calibration for diameter and area determination by intravascular ultrasound

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) permits quantitative assessment of the lumen diameter and area of coronary arteries. The experimental study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of diameter and area measurements.Lumen quantitation (lumen diameter D and cross-sectional area A) in lucite tubes (lumen diameter 2.5 to 5.7 mm, Plexiglas) was performed using a mechanical IVUS system (HP console, 3.5 F catheter, Boston Scientific, 30 MHz). The influence of fluid type (blood, water and saline solution), fluid temperature (20 degrees C/37 degrees C), catheter to catheter variation, gain setting and ultrasound frequency (12, 20 and 30 MHz) was determined. In blood at 20 degrees C there was a constan…

A new thrombectomy catheter device (AngioJet) for the disruption of thrombi: An in vitro study

In this study we examined a new thrombectomy catheter device. Different kinds of in vitro generated thrombi and cadaver thrombi were disrupted in test tubes. The mean disruption rate (and disruption time for 1 g of thrombus) was 225 +/- 65 mg/sec (5 +/- 2 sec) for whole-blood, 117 +/- 60 mg/sec (12 +/- 9 sec) for fibrin, 41 +/- 18 mg/sec (30 +/- 18 sec) for mixed, 70 +/- 42 mg/sec (17 +/- 5 sec) for unorganized, 45 +/- 8 mg/sec (22 +/- 4 sec) for partly, and 5 +/- 1 mg/sec (216 +/- 29 sec) for completely organized cadaver thrombi (P0.05). More than 99% of fragmented particles of whole-blood thrombi were 0-12 microm in diameter. The particle size of fibrin, mixed, and cadaver thrombi was sim…

Analysis of high-frequency rotational angioplasty-induced echo contrast.

During high-frequency rotational angioplasty (HFRA), myocardial contrast enhancement (echo contrast) was observed by means of two-dimensional echocardiography. In order to evaluate the echo contrast produced by HFRA, an in vitro experimental model was built using a cylinder with the HFRA catheter scanned in a water bath. The cylinder was filled with blood, mineral water, and distilled water. With a 2.5-MHz transducer, echograms were recorded and analyzed by video intensitometer, and the maximum intensity IUmax and persistence time P were calculated. Rotation frequencies of 20,000-200,000 rpm with 2.0--mm burrs and times of 10 s were tested. In another model, hyperbaric conditions for the sa…

Clinical application of a new rheolytic thrombectomy catheter system for massive pulmonary embolism

Intravascular ultrasound detected classification of coronary lesions as a predictor of dissections after balloon angioplasty.

Dissection after balloon angioplasty of coronary arteries may give rise to an unfavourable early outcome. Compared with coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) allows more detailed characterisation of dissections. We investigated the incidence and type of dissections after balloon angioplasty in calcified coronary lesions. IVUS was performed in 43 patients with 48 lesions before and after percutaneous balloon angioplasty. Significant calcification was defined as an arc of more than 90 degrees with typical acoustic shadowing. Dissections were classified as type A when the media was not involved by the dissection and as type B when media involvement had occurred. In the group wi…