Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)

This is one of many examples of interventional techniques pioneered by Stanford researchers. IVUS is an imaging technique that has become the international gold standard for detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease. Designed to provide data about lesion characteristics, IVUS is used to improve decision-making regarding coronary intervention for patients. IVUS refers to a catheter or tube that has an ultrasound probe near its tip. An IVUS catheter can be placed in a coronary artery to look from the inside at the artery. It provides very detailed pictures of the inside of the artery and often provides more information than a standard angiogram alone.