IVUS Rotational Transducer Image Reconstruction 2026
IVUS Rotational Transducer Image Reconstruction
Mechanically rotating IVUS catheters are at an inflection point in 2026, driven by near-distal encoder NURD correction, broadband signal architectures, and AI-based artifact inpainting. This dataset maps 63 patent and literature records spanning 1993–2026.
Rotational IVUS Reconstruction: From Polar Scan Lines to 3D Vessel Maps
The mechanically rotating single-element IVUS transducer transmits and receives pulsed acoustic signals along successive radial scan lines, producing a 360-degree cross-sectional image of the vessel wall. Image reconstruction integrates these radial A-lines into a polar coordinate frame and converts to a Cartesian display. Critical performance determinants include rotational uniformity, transducer bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, and fidelity of angular position encoding.
Among retrieved results, foundational reconstruction approaches range from ANGUS-type 3D reconstructions combining IVUS cross-sections with X-ray angiographic centerlines, to real-time encoder-based NURD correction, to GPU-accelerated volumetric rendering. The field further encompasses hybrid OCT-IVUS catheters enabling concurrent luminal imaging, coherence filtering signal processing pipelines, multi-frequency waveforms, and deep-learning artifact inpainting targeting the guidewire shadow artifact endemic to mechanical rotation.
Advanced transducer materials — PMUT, CMUT, and 1-3 piezocomposite — are replacing conventional PZT ceramics. Literature documents the shift to single-crystal materials achieving broader bandwidth and higher center frequencies in the 50–60 MHz range, with geometric focusing achieving 80 µm axial and 100 µm lateral resolution. Active spinning elements on the rotating shaft increase available signal paths, enabling bandwidths exceeding 100% versus 30–50% for conventional piezo designs.
In this dataset, filings and publications span nearly three decades across distinct developmental phases: foundational 3D reconstruction concepts (1993–2003), hardware differentiation and signal processing families (2009–2016), NURD correction architecture patents (2019–2022), and emerging AI and broadband processing entries (2024–2026). Volcano Corporation holds the most active patent records in this dataset for core rotational IVUS probe hardware, followed by ACIST Medical Systems for signal processing pipeline coverage.
Four Innovation Clusters Across Three Decades of IVUS Reconstruction Patents
The retrieved dataset reveals four distinct technology clusters spanning hardware probe design, real-time position encoding, signal processing pipelines, and multimodal 3D co-registration. Filing activity in this dataset accelerated after 2014 and reached its most recent frontier with WO and CN entries in 2025–2026.
Patent Records by Technology Cluster (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, the signal processing pipeline cluster and rotational probe hardware cluster account for the largest share of records, with 3D co-registration and NURD correction forming the remaining active innovation fronts.
↗ Click bars to exploreIVUS Reconstruction Patent Filing Activity by Developmental Phase (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, filing activity spans four developmental phases, with the most recent AI and broadband processing entries (2024–2026) representing the smallest but most forward-looking cohort of new entrants and frontier signal processing architectures.
↗ Click bars to exploreWhere Rotational IVUS Reconstruction Technology Is Deployed
The retrieved dataset identifies four primary application domains for rotational IVUS reconstruction technology, spanning coronary artery disease guidance, structural heart interventions, neurovascular and peripheral imaging, and gastrointestinal endoscopic applications, each grounded in specific named patents and literature from retrieved records.
Coronary Artery PCI Guidance
The dominant application in this dataset. Mechanically rotating IVUS catheters provide cross-sectional lumen assessment, plaque morphology characterization covering lipid core, fibrous cap, and calcification, plus stent apposition verification. The 2022 comparative review confirms IVUS adoption is increasing for PCI guidance due to superior tissue penetration and ability to visualize the external elastic membrane. InfraRedx’s multi-frequency IVUS (EP 2016, US 2019) specifically targets vulnerable plaque assessment and stent healing evaluation.
Interventional CardiologyStructural Heart & Aortic Interventions
Far-field IVUS applied during TAVR procedures enables aortic valve annulus sizing and paravalvular leak prediction, serving as an alternative to multi-detector CT. The 2021 TAVR far-field IVUS commentary and the 2021 review of novel imaging in valve therapy both document this emerging application. Philips Image Guided Therapy Corporation’s IVUS and external imaging patent (US 2024, active) extends the domain to aneurysm coil placement mapping using 3D fusion of IVUS with external ultrasound.
Structural Heart InterventionNeurovascular & Peripheral Vascular Imaging
Volcano Corporation’s active spinning element patents (US 2010, WO 2010, EP 2012, US 2023) explicitly enumerate carotid, neuro, peripheral, and venous anatomy as target applications for the rotational IVUS probe architecture. Evident Vascular’s 2025 WO filing for a complete IVUS electronic architecture specifically lists peripheral and neurovascular IVUS as primary embodiment contexts alongside coronary, signaling commercial expansion of rotational IVUS beyond coronary-only systems.
Peripheral and NeurovascularGastrointestinal Endoscopic Imaging
Canon U.S.A.’s encoder-based reconstruction patents (WO 2020, US 2022) target not only IVUS but also spectrally encoded endoscopy and OCT for gastrointestinal applications, applying the same near-distal encoder NURD correction architecture to GI tract imaging. Literature on micromotor OCT catheters operating at 400 frames per second demonstrates direct technology transfer potential, with the rotating scanning architecture achieving cardiac-motion-free imaging in a single cardiac cycle pullback as documented in the 2015 Heartbeat OCT publication.
Endoscopic ImagingLeading Assignees in IVUS Rotational Reconstruction — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, Volcano Corporation (now Philips Image Guided Therapy) holds the most active patent records for core rotational IVUS probe hardware, with at least 9 active records in retrieved records spanning US, WO, and EP jurisdictions. ACIST Medical Systems follows with at least 7 patent records in this dataset covering the IVUS signal processing pipeline across US, WO, EP, JP, and HK jurisdictions.
Top Assignees by Active Patent Records — IVUS Rotational Transducer (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreVolcano Corporation (Philips)
Volcano Corporation holds at least 9 active patent records in this dataset, spanning US, WO, and EP jurisdictions with filings from 2009 through 2023. The core patent family covers the rotational IVUS probe with an active spinning element — enabling PMUT and CMUT arrays on rotating shafts for multi-path signal transmission — and extends to OCT-IVUS catheters for concurrent luminal imaging (US 2009, US 2022). This is the most prolific single assignee in this dataset for core rotational IVUS probe hardware.
United StatesACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
ACIST Medical Systems holds at least 7 patent records in this dataset across US, WO, EP, JP, and HK jurisdictions, with filings from 2015 through 2018. The patent family targets the signal processing pipeline for IVUS image reconstruction, specifically covering coherence filtering to suppress uncorrelated noise between adjacent A-lines, envelope detection, and spatial filtering for high-definition IVUS display frames. Multiple active records confirm multi-jurisdictional protection of this processing architecture.
United StatesSix Frontier Signals in IVUS Rotational Reconstruction (2020–2026)
The most recent filings and literature records in this dataset (2020–2026) reveal six observable emerging directions, ranging from hardware-embedded encoder correction to AI-based artifact repair and synchronized multi-modal co-registration architectures.
Near-Distal Encoder for Real-Time NURD Correction
Canon U.S.A.’s WO 2020 and US 2022 filings demonstrate a structurally important shift from software-only NURD post-processing to hardware-assisted real-time correction. A rotary position sensor placed close to the transducer tip provides a real-time angular reference signal, enabling the reconstruction system to map each A-line to a precise angular coordinate regardless of torque cable slip. Canon U.S.A. holds early position in this space, which remains lightly contested in this dataset.
Broadband Signal Architectures with Wavelet and Hilbert Processing
NuevoSono’s 2026 WO filing represents the frontier of IVUS signal processing: a distal-tip micropulser generating clean low-noise broadband pulses processed with wavelet transforms and Hilbert envelope detection instead of conventional bandpass filtering and log compression. This architecture promises enhanced tissue contrast and frequency-selective tissue characterization without requiring significant catheter hardware changes. It builds on InfraRedx’s earlier multi-frequency waveform approach (WO 2014, EP 2016, US 2019) addressing the single-frequency contrast/resolution trade-off.
NURD Correction Approaches: Hardware Encoder vs. Software Post-Processing
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Near-Distal Hardware Encoder (Canon U.S.A.) | Software-Only NURD Post-Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Correction Timing | Real-time during acquisition | Post-acquisition processing |
| Sensor Location | Near the distal transducer tip | Proximal motor or no sensor |
| Angular Reference | Real-time rotary position signal per A-line | Assumes constant angular velocity |
| Cable Slip Tolerance | Direct compensation for torque cable flexing | Artifacts remain if velocity non-uniform |
| Key Patent | Canon U.S.A. WO 2020, US 2022 (inactive) | Not directly patented in this dataset |
| Jurisdictions | WO, US | N/A |
| Patent Status | WO active; US inactive per dataset | N/A |
| Application Scope | IVUS, spectrally encoded endoscopy, OCT | General rotational IVUS pullback |
Frequently Asked Questions: IVUS Rotational Transducer Image Reconstruction
NURD stands for non-uniform rotational distortion. It arises when the flexible torque cable binding the transducer to the external motor slips or flexes unevenly, causing angular sampling artifacts in the reconstructed image. Because conventional reconstruction assumes constant angular velocity, cable slip produces geometric distortion of the cross-sectional image. Canon U.S.A.’s WO 2020 and US 2022 patents address this by placing a rotary position encoder near the distal transducer tip to provide a real-time angular reference signal for each A-line.
PMUT (Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer) and CMUT (Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer) are advanced microfabricated transducer technologies. Compared to conventional PZT ceramics, they offer broader bandwidth — exceeding 100% versus 30–50% for conventional piezo — improved beam profiles, dynamically variable focus, and better signal-to-noise ratio. Volcano Corporation’s active spinning element patents (US 2010, WO 2010, EP 2012) specifically address the challenge of transmitting multiple electrical signals across the rotating-stationary interface to enable PMUT and CMUT arrays on rotating shafts.
The ANGUS approach integrates IVUS cross-sections with dual-projection X-ray centerlines from biplane angiography to reconstruct a 3D vessel geometry. It was established by Cornelis Jacob Slager in patent filings in WO (1997), EP (1998), and US (1998). The geometric framework wraps IVUS polar data around a 3D catheter centerline derived from biplane angiography, forming the foundation for subsequent 3D co-registration methods in the field.
In this dataset, Volcano Corporation (now Philips Image Guided Therapy) holds at least 9 active patent records for core rotational IVUS probe hardware across US, WO, and EP. ACIST Medical Systems holds at least 7 records (US, WO, EP, JP, HK) for the IVUS signal processing pipeline. LightLab Imaging holds at least 6 active records covering OCT-angiography co-registration. These counts are based on retrieved records only and do not represent total industry filing activity.
AIVUS is a deep learning network documented in a 2022 literature publication that applies neural inpainting to repair the guidewire shadow artifact in mechanical IVUS images. The guidewire shadow is a persistent diagnostic limitation of all rotating single-element systems. According to the dataset, no patents directly claim deep learning-based reconstruction or artifact correction for rotational IVUS, indicating IP protection in this area remains an open opportunity.
InfraRedx (WO 2014, EP 2016, US 2019) uses a multi-frequency waveform pulser to energize a single transducer, generating both high-contrast low-frequency and high-resolution high-frequency echoes from one catheter pass, avoiding co-registration overhead from multiple transducers. NuevoSono’s 2026 WO filing employs a distal-tip micropulser producing a pure broadband pulse signal processed with wavelet transforms and Hilbert envelope detection instead of conventional bandpass filtering and log compression, targeting frequency-selective tissue characterization from broadband pulse exploitation.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.