Research Lab for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Key Lab for Molecular Imaging, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
PLoS One. 2014 Mar 20;9(3):e92463. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092463. eCollection 2014.
Photoacoustic imaging is an emerging technology that can provide anatomic, functional, and molecular information about biological tissue. Intravascular spectroscopic and molecular photoacoustic imaging can potentially improve the identification of atherosclerotic plaque composition, the detection of inflammation, and ultimately the risk stratification of atherosclerosis. In this study, a first-of-its-kind intravascular optical-resolution photoacoustic tomography (OR-PAT) system with a 1.1 mm diameter catheter is developed, offering optical-diffraction limited transverse resolution as fine as 19.6 μm, ∼ 10-fold finer than that of conventional intravascular photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging. To offer complementary imaging information and depth, the system also acquires co-registered intravascular ultrasound images in parallel. Imaging of an iliac stent and a lipid phantom shows that the high resolution and contrast of OR-PAT can enable improved stent implantation guidance and lipid identification. In the future, these capabilities may ultimately improve the diagnosis and interventional treatment of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, which are prone to cause thrombotic complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
光声成像是一种新兴技术，可提供有关生物组织的解剖学、功能和分子信息。血管内光谱和分子光声成像是潜在的，可以改善动脉粥样硬化斑块成分的识别，炎症的检测，最终的动脉粥样硬化风险分层。在这项研究中，开发了首例具有 1.1 毫米直径导管的血管内光学分辨率光声断层扫描（OR-PAT）系统，提供了与光学衍射相当的横向分辨率，精细度达到 19.6 μm，比传统的血管内光声和超声成像精细约 10 倍。为了提供互补的成像信息和深度，该系统还并行采集血管内超声图像。对髂动脉支架和脂质体的成像表明，OR-PAT 的高分辨率和对比度可以实现改善的支架植入指导和脂质识别。将来，这些功能最终可能会改善易发生血栓并发症（如心肌梗塞和中风）的脆弱性动脉粥样硬化斑块的诊断和介入治疗。
