KEYWORDS: Luminescence, Intravascular ultrasound, Imaging systems, In vivo imaging, Algorithm development, Signal attenuation, Arteries, Blood, Biology, Near infrared
Intravascular Near-Infrared Fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is a promising imaging modality to image vessel
biology and high-risk plaques in vivo. We have developed a NIRF fiber optic catheter and have presented
the ability to image atherosclerotic plaques in vivo, using appropriate NIR fluorescent probes. Our
catheter consists of a 100/140 μm core/clad diameter housed in polyethylene tubing, emitting NIR laser
light at a 90 degree angle compared to the fiber's axis. The system utilizes a rotational and a
translational motor for true 2D imaging and operates in conjunction with a coaxial intravascular
ultrasound (IVUS) device. IVUS datasets provide 3D images of the internal structure of arteries and are
used in our system for anatomical mapping. Using the IVUS images, we are building an accurate hybrid
fluorescence-IVUS data inversion scheme that takes into account photon propagation through the blood
filled lumen. This hybrid imaging approach can then correct for the non-linear dependence of light
intensity on the distance of the fluorescence region from the fiber tip, leading to quantitative imaging.
The experimental and algorithmic developments will be presented and the effectiveness of the
algorithm showcased with experimental results in both saline and blood-like preparations. The
combined structural and molecular information obtained from these two imaging modalities are
positioned to enable the accurate diagnosis of biologically high-risk atherosclerotic plaques in the
coronary arteries that are responsible for heart attacks.
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