Method and apparatus for mapping pressure and tissue properties
US5749364A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B8/08
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention disclosed relates to a novel method of mapping and presenting fluid pressure information within a living body utilizing changes in acoustic behavior of microbubbles situated in a bodily fluid such as blood. Differences in the returned acoustic spectra from the microbubbles are related by an algorithm to fluid pressure which is colorized and presented in a manner similar to Doppler imaging. In a further aspect of the invention, the work output of an organ such as the heart may computed from the blood pressure information in association with flow information obtained through Doppler related imaging, which then, is presented in a colorized fashion. In a still further aspect, an improved method of assessing the health of tissue is disclosed utilizing changes in the acoustic spectra of microbubbles infused in the tissue in response to palpitation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.