Feasibility and diagnostic value of catheter-based ultrasonic systems for intravascular imaging: in vitro comparisons with MRI

In order to assess the potential image quality of catheter-based ultrasonic imaging and its implications for diagnostic as well as therapeutic use, the authors imaged, in vitro, human renal, iliac, and femoral arteries obtained from autopsy. Ultrasonic imaging was performed using 20- and 30-MHz focused disk transducers of 2-mm and 1-mm-diameter active apertures, respectively. Correlative images from a 2-T, high-resolution magnetic resonance imager (MRI), as well as specimen photomicrographs were also taken. Preliminary results suggest that images of diagnostic quality can be routinely obtained, and catheter-based ultrasonic imaging can serve as an effective adjunct to vascular angioplasty and surgery