3-D ULTRASOUND VASCULAR BLOOD FLOW IMAGING

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): During Phase I, VueSonix Sensors demonstrated for the first time ever, true real-time, digital phased array, 3-0 Ultrasound Color Flow and Power Doppler imaging of blood flow. This could be called a 5-D vascular imaging system (x y z v t), operating at 30 FPS. In addition, the threedimensional blood vessel centerline was instantaneously acquired, tracked and displayed as needed for true 3-D vector velocity and for non-invasive measurement and monitoring of blood volume flow. The 3D image can be fully rotated andlor viewed as a fixed or moving slice in any axis. The Phase I Engineering Model used a small transducer array, with a limited angular field of view, to produce 200,000 voxels/sec with a fantastic 4x improvement in velocity (color) resolution over 2D systems. In Phase II, VueSonix will fully reduce its invention (patent pending, submitted 6/99 81 7/99) to practice by building and testing a prototype system with a full-size probe producing images with 12 times the number of voxels as the engineering model. The prototype will be optimized for the peripheral vascular market and will be clinically tested at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Cardiac imaging will also be evaluated. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Vuesonix is developing commercial ultrasound devices that image blood vessels in real time 3D. The objective is to provide superior blood flow imaging with volume blood-flow measurements resulting in improved diagnosis requiring less operator skill. A market survey performed for VueSonix by Health Advances, Inc., shows a $350M-550M market in the U.S. for a device to diagnose and monitor periphral vascular disease that requires less tiem and less operator skill.