Forward-Looking Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging in Coronary Rotational Atherectomy: Development and Performance...

coronary rotational atherectomy (CRA) is a vital method for the treatment of cardiovascular calcified blockages, but the lack of intravascular information may lead to improper setting of rotary parameters, posing risks of surgical complications. Forward-looking intravascular ultrasound (FL-IVUS) is a valuable tool for lumen imaging and has unique advantages in severely calcified or even occluded vessels.

in this study, a visual rotary surgical instrument based on FL-IVUS imaging was proposed to achieve intraoperative feedback. Imaging catheters with forward viewing angles of $30^{\circ }$, $45^{\circ }$, and $60^{\circ }$ were designed and manufactured to investigate the influence of angle parameters of the transducer on image quality. The imaging performance of the FL-IVUS image feedback system was evaluated by wire phantoms, ex vivo porcine aorta, vascular phantom model and calcified tissue substitute.

the results showed that the transducers with different tilt angles had similar performance and resolution, and forward view ultrasound imaging demonstrated satisfactory performance for imaging ex vivo porcine aorta tissue. By increasing the angle between the beam and the axial direction, the spatial resolution of captured images improved, while the penetration depth decreased.

the integrated forward-looking ultrasound rotary cutting devices have good ultrasound imaging performance and can become a useful tool for intracavitary information feedback, which is helpful to the parameter setting and evaluation of rotary grinding.

miniaturized and integrated forward-looking ultrasound rotatory device can facilitate real-time ultrasound interventional feedback and reduce the risk of surgical complications.