Temporal correlation of blood scattering signals from intravascular ultrasound

The time-varying characteristics of blood scattering on high frequency intravascular ultrasound were investigated in vivo in 5 pig experiments. The RF correlation time T/sub c/ was measured on an M-mode sequence acquired at a high pulse repetition rate. Results showed that T/sub c/ measured in blood was approximately 1 ms which was significantly shorter than that measured in wall (T/sub c//spl Gt/6 ms). Using the correlation output as a weighting function, most of the blood scattering echoes can be removed for contrast enhancement of the lumen interface.