Assessment of bioresorbable scaffold with a novel high-definition 60 MHz IVUS imaging system: Comparison with 40-MHz IVUS referenced to optical coherence tomography

Background In vivo assessment of bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) is of growing clinical interest. The novel 60MHz high-definition intravascular ultrasound (HD-IVUS) has been developed to overcome the limitations of conventional 40 MHz IVUS. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and limitations of 60 MHz HD-IVUS compared with 40 MHz IVUS with respect to polymeric-strut visualization, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and feasibility of high-speed pullback in the assessment of BRS. Methods and Results In a bench-test model, 361 struts were analyzed to evaluate the influence of ultrasound-beam angles and proximity of adjacent struts on IVUS visualization of BRS struts. Various settings ...