Early and recent intraluminal ultrasound devices.- Early intraluminal measurements.- Intravascular Doppler methods.- Intraluminal imaging.- Combination of techniques.- Present intra-arterial echo methods.- Future developments.- Conclusions.- Intraluminal real-time ultrasonic imaging: Clinical perspectives.- Applications in cardiovascular disease.- Applications in non-cardiovascular disease.- Factors influencing image quality and interpretation.- Future perspectives.- Conclusion.- Ultrasound imaging and atherogenesis.- Atherosclerotic lesions: A matter of definition.- Atherogenesis: Basic mechanisms.- Atherosclerosis: Component make up variability.- Atherosclerosis and arteries: Tissue characteristics.- Atherosclerosis: Ultrasound imaging.- Intravascular echographic assessment of vessel wall characteristics: A correlation with histology.- Technique.- Microscopic investigation.- Data analysis.- Results: Arteries.- Veins.- Aorta-coronary artery bypass grafts.- Vascular prostheses.- Atherosclerotic lesions.- Limitations.- Conclusions.- Clinical applications of intravascular ultrasound imaging in atherectomy.- The atherectomy devices: initial clinical studies.- The need for improved imaging.- Initial experience with imaging guidance in peripheral atherectomy.- Future technical and clinical directions.- Conclusions.- Laser ablation and the need for intra-arterial imaging.- Methods.- Results.- Discussion.- Conclusions.- 3-D visualization of arterial structures using ultrasound and Voxel modelling.- 3-D space and object description.- Constructive solid geometry - CGS modelling.- Boundary representation.- Voxel modelling.- Voxel modelling of arterial structures.- Contour definition.- 3-D interpolation.- 3-D visualisation of arterial structures using ultrasound.- Results.- Discussion.- Optimized ultrasound imaging catheters for use in the vascular system.- Motivation.- Design evolution.- Design alternatives.- Transducer technology.- Future directions.- Intraluminal ultrasound guidance of transverse laser coronary atherectomy.- The ideal coronary laser atherectomy system.- System description.- Conclusion.- Review of intracoronary Doppler catheters.- Instrumentation.- Transducers.- Validation.- Clinical applications and results.- Discussion.- Conclusions.- What have we learned about coronary artery disease from high-frequency epicardial echocardiography?.- Intraoperative ultrasound evaluation of the coronary arteries: High frequency epicardial echocardiography.- Echocardiographic-angiographic correlations using high frequency echo.- Remodeling of atherosclerotic coronary arteries.- Analysis of backscattered ultrasound from normal and diseased arterial wall.- Properties of backscattered ultrasound.- Special aspects of intra-arterial tissue characterization.- Preliminary studies on ultrasonic backscatter from arteries.- Future plans.- Conclusions.- Clinical percutaneous imaging of coronary anatomy using an over-the-wire ultrasound catheter system.- Methods.- Results.- Discussion.- Imaging artifacts in mechanically driven ultrasound catheters.- Image artifacts related to catheter tip motion.- Conclusions.- Design characteristics for intravascular ultrasonic catheters.- Mechanical considerations.- Derivation of force equations.- Flexible drive cables.- Use of catheter pathways to calculate forces, torques and torsion angles.- Electrical wire for connecting the transducer.- Discussion.- List of first authors.