Purpose: To report early clinical experiences with color 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound (3-D IVUS) in assisting peripheral interventions.
Technique: A 3.5-F, 20-MHz IVUS catheter that utilizes ChromaFlo computer software to demonstrate blood flow in color was evaluated in over 100 peripheral interventions. ChromaFlo captures up to 30 conventional IVUS frames every second and generates "real-time" imaging. The software compares sequential axial IVUS images and interprets any differences in the position of echogenic blood particles, which are displayed as colorized flow in axial or 3-D renderings.
Conclusions: ChromaFlo-enhanced IVUS demonstrates colorized blood flow inside the vessel lumen, which is helpful in distinguishing echolucent disease from luminal blood flow and can also be used to perform peripheral interventions in patients with renal failure or allergy, avoiding the use of contrast media.