Abstract
New optical imaging techniques that provide contrast to study both the anatomy and composition of atherosclerotic plaques can be utilized to better understand the formation, progression and clinical complications of human coronary artery disease. We present a dual-modality fiber-based optical imaging system for simultaneous microstructural and molecular analysis of atherosclerotic plaques that combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) and two-photon luminescence (TPL) imaging. Experimental results from ex vivo human coronary arteries show that OCT and TPL optical contrast in recorded OCT-TPL images is complimentary and in agreement with histological analysis. Molecular composition (e.g., lipid and oxidized-LDL) detected by TPL imaging can be overlaid onto plaque microstructure depicted by OCT, providing new opportunities for atherosclerotic plaque identification and characterization.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease takes a huge toll on our society and was responsible for at least 1 in every 3 deaths in the United States in 2010 [1]
We demonstrated that two-photon luminescence (TPL) imaging in combination with optical coherence tomography (OCT) can identify plaque composition with high resolution in the context of surface profile of the vessel lumen without using contrast agent
When the cardiologist observes a plaque in an intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) image, inaccuracies may occur in classifying the plaques and evaluating the risk of plaque rupture only based on tissue structures
Summary
Cardiovascular disease takes a huge toll on our society and was responsible for at least 1 in every 3 deaths in the United States in 2010 [1]. Recent advances in basic and experimental science have established a fundamental role that underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms contribute to mechanical instability and increased risk of plaque rupture and subsequent clinical complications [2,3,4]. These mechanisms include infiltration and retention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) [5,6], recruitment of macrophages [7,8,9], a decrease in smooth muscle cells and collagen synthesis [10,11], and thinning of the fibrous cap with an increased underlying lipid core size [12]. In vivo lipid identification at a high resolution without using exogenous contrast agents is of great clinical value
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