3-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND IMAGES OF CORONARY STENTS USING AN ECG-GATED PULL-BACK DEVICE

Three-dimensional reconstruction (3D-R) of intravascular ultrasound (I VUS) images is not yet satisfactory because of artifacts caused by car diac movement. This problem can be overcome with a new device, an elec trocardiographic (ECG)-gated pull-back system. Using this device a cat heter is pulled back stepwise gated by the ECG, and IVUS dynamic image s of an entire cardiac cycle are acquired at each step. We performed 3 D-R of IVUS images of stents using this new device in six patients wit h Palmaz-Schatz coronary stent implantation. We obtained precise 3D im ages in all cases, and stent structure was visualized in detail. In co nclusion, use of an ECG-gated pull-back device enables precise 3D-R of IVUS images and provides useful information on the coronary artery.