Three-dimensional reconstruction of intravascular ultrasound images of coronary stents using an ECG-gated pull-back device.

Three-dimensional reconstruction (3D-R) of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images is not yet satisfactory because of artifacts caused by cardiac movement. This problem can be overcome with a new device, an electrocardiographic (ECG)-gated pull-back system. Using this device a catheter is pulled back stepwise gated by the ECG, and IVUS dynamic images of an entire cardiac cycle are acquired at each step. We performed 3D-R of IVUS images of stents using this new device in six patients with Palmaz-Schatz coronary stent implantation. We obtained precise 3D images in all cases, and stent structure was visualized in detail. In conclusion, use of an ECG-gated pull-back device enables precise 3D-R of IVUS images and provides useful information on the coronary artery.