Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for automated vascular diameter determination

US5724973A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
6References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 1996
Grant dateMar 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S128/922
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automated measuring of a diameter of a first region enclosed in a second region internal to a living organism, wherein the first and second regions consist of different cellular matter. One embodiment of the invention includes generating a plurality of trial diameters, wherein each trial diameter includes an inner and outer region and has a different length. An ultrasonic measurement is taken of the inner region and the outer region for each trial diameter. The difference is determined for the ultrasonic measurements corresponding to the inner and outer regions of each trial diameter. The trial diameter which most closely corresponds to the diameter of the first region is then selected, wherein the difference of the ultrasonic measurements corresponding to the inner and outer regions is greatest for the trial diameter which most closely corresponds to the diameter of the first region.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.