SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AND USING INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS WITH PHOTO-ACOUSTIC IMAGING CAPABILITIES

摘要

A catheter assembly for an intravascular ultrasound system (100) includes a catheter (102) with a lumen and an imaging core (306) insertable into the lumen. The imaging core includes a rotatable drive shaft (310), at least one transducer (312), and at least one optical transport medium. The at least one transducer is mounted to the rotatable drive shaft and transforms applied electrical signals to acoustic signals and also transforms received acoustic signals to electrical signals. The at least one optical transport medium emits light and rotates with the drive shaft. The at least one transducer also receives acoustic signals generated by an object in response to illumination of the object by the light emitted from the distal end of the optical transport medium.