Feasibility of in vivo intravascular photoacoustic imaging using integrated ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging catheter.

Abstract

Pilot studies of in vivo combined intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging are reported. A recently introduced prototype of an integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter consisting of a single-element ultrasound transducer and a light delivery system based on a single optical fiber was adapted and used for in vivo imaging of a coronary stent deployed in a rabbit's thoracic aorta in the presence of luminal blood. The results suggest that in vivo IVUS/IVPA imaging is feasible using the integrated IVUS/IVPA imaging catheter. The challenges of in vivo combined IVUS/IVPA imaging are discussed, and further improvements on the design of the catheter and the clinical imaging system are proposed.