Real-time, 3-D ultrasound with multiple transducer arrays.
Modifications were made to a commercial real-time, three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound system for near simultaneous 3-D scanning with two matrix array transducers. As a first illustration, a transducer cable assembly was modified to incorporate two independent, 3-D intra-cardiac echo catheters, a 7 Fr (2.3 mm O.D.) side scanning catheter and a 14 Fr (4.7 mm O.D) forward viewing catheter with accessory port, each catheter using 85 channels operating at 5 MHz. For applications in treatment of atrial fibrillation, the goal is to place the sideviewing catheter within the coronary sinus to view the whole left atrium, including a pulmonary vein. Meanwhile, the forward-viewing catheter inserted within the left atrium is directed toward the ostium of a pulmonary vein for therapy using the integrated accessory port. Using preloaded, phasing data, the scanner switches between catheters automatically, at the push of a button, with a delay of about 1 second, so that the clinician can view the therapy catheter with the coronary sinus catheter and vice versa. Preliminary imaging studies in a tissue phantom and in vivo show that our system successfully guided the forward-viewing catheter toward a target while being imaged with the sideviewing catheter. The forward-viewing catheter then was activated to monitor the target while we mimicked therapy delivery. In the future, the system will switch between 3-D probes on a line-by-line basis and display both volumes simultaneously.
Fronheiser
Matthew P
MP
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. mpf3@duke.edu
Light
Edward D
ED
Idriss
Salim F
SF
Wolf
Patrick D
PD
Smith
Stephen W
SW
D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003199:Computer Systems; D004285:Dogs; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers