Karpiouk Andrei B, Wang Bo, Emelianov Stanislav Y
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C0800, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2010 Jan;81(1):014901. doi: 10.1063/1.3274197.
Atherosclerosis is characterized by formation and development of the plaques in the inner layer of the vessel wall. To detect and characterize atherosclerotic plaques, we previously introduced the combined intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging capable of assessing plaque morphology and composition. The utility of IVUS/IVPA imaging has been demonstrated by imaging tissue-mimicking phantoms and ex vivo arterial samples using laboratory prototype of the imaging system. However, the clinical realization of a IVUS/IVPA imaging requires an integrated intravascular imaging catheter. In this paper, two designs of IVUS/IVPA imaging catheters--side fire fiber-based and mirror-based catheters--are reported. A commercially available IVUS imaging catheter was utilized for both pulse-echo ultrasound imaging and detection of photoacoustic transients. Laser pulses were delivered by custom-designed fiber-based optical systems. The optical fiber and IVUS imaging catheter were combined into a single device. Both designs were tested and compared using point targets and tissue-mimicking phantoms. The results indicate applicability of the proposed catheters for clinical use.
动脉粥样硬化的特征是血管壁内层斑块的形成和发展。为了检测和表征动脉粥样硬化斑块，我们之前引入了能够评估斑块形态和成分的血管内超声（IVUS）和血管内光声（IVPA）联合成像技术。通过使用成像系统的实验室原型对组织模拟体模和离体动脉样本进行成像，已证明了IVUS/IVPA成像的实用性。然而，IVUS/IVPA成像的临床应用需要一种集成的血管内成像导管。本文报道了两种IVUS/IVPA成像导管设计——基于侧射光纤的导管和基于镜子的导管。一种市售的IVUS成像导管用于脉冲回波超声成像和光声瞬态检测。激光脉冲由定制设计的基于光纤的光学系统发射。光纤和IVUS成像导管被组合成一个单一装置。使用点目标和组织模拟体模对两种设计进行了测试和比较。结果表明所提出的导管适用于临床应用。
