Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-07-31
Hindenburg, Max (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267728
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of using ultrasound to evaluate atherosclerosis in arteries. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of using M-Mode ultrasound to evaluate atherosclerosis in peripheral arteries and its affect on the elasticity of the arterial walls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Atherosclerotic plaques, or lesions, have been known to contribute to the progression of various diseases, including heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease, and to the general aging process itself. As atherosclerosis develops and advances in arteries, the arteries become less compliant. One goal in the health care industry has been to diagnose and evaluate atherosclerosis in a cost-effective and non-evasive manner. Presently, B-Mode ultrasound imaging is used to make two-dimensional, cross-sectional representations of an artery, such as the carotid artery. These B-Mode representations provide for visualization of plaques in arterial walls, however, they do not adequately provide for evaluation of any loss of arterial wall compliance. For example, B-Mode representations can be collected and compared over time to show changes to an arterial wall which can indicate loss of arterial wall compliance. Further, the B-Mode representations must be collected and stored over a long period of time, which requires a substantial amount of data storage space and complex software to evaluate these representations.
Accordingly, what is needed is an expedient method for evaluating atherosclerosis and its affect on arterial wall compliance which overcomes the problems found in present non-evasive methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for evaluating atherosclerosis in an expedient and non-evasive manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for evaluating atherosclerosis in peripheral arteries, such as the femoral, popliteal, carotid, and brachial arteries.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for evaluating atherosclerosis using M-Mode ultrasound.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for evaluating arterial wall compliance by measuring changes in an arterial wall during a systolic-diastolic pressure wave.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished through a method for evaluating atherosclerosis using M-Mode ultrasound to measure atherosclerotic plaques and their affect on compliance of the arterial walls in peripheral arteries. Movement of the arterial walls is measured during a systolic-diastolic pressure cycle, which allows for immediate determination of abnormal arterial compliance. M-Mode ultrasound also provides for measurement of intimal medial thickness as well as the thickness of any atherosclerotic lesions. M-Mode ultrasound provides for measurement of the distance between the near and far walls of the subject artery and the acoustic impedance of the materials that comprise the individual layers of the arterial walls.
To image an artery with M-Mode ultrasound, a transducer having at least one transmitting element and at least one receiving element is placed against a patient's skin adjacent the peripheral artery to be evaluated. A repeating series of sound pulses are transmitted from the transmitting element into the patient substantially perpendicular to the subject artery. The sound waves are reflected to varying degrees by the tissues encountered and the reflected waves are collected by the receiving element(s) in the transducer and the collected data is imaged for evaluation. M-Mode ultrasound allows for continuous monitoring of the position of the arterial walls during the systolic-diastolic pressure cycle such that changes in position of the arterial wall can be measured over a predetermined period of time. While M-Mode technology has been available for many years in the medical field, it has been used virtually exclusively for evaluating cardiac measurements and has never been used to evaluate changes in the diameter of arteries during a systolic-diastolic pressure wave.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4721113 (1988-01-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 5241963 (1993-09-01), Shankar
patent: 5297556 (1994-03-01), Shankar
patent: 5343867 (1994-09-01), Shankar
patent: 5515849 (1996-05-01), Murashita et al.
Burr & Forman LLP
Hindenburg Max
Szmal Brian
Veal Robert J.
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