Multimodal intravascular imaging technology for characterization of atherosclerosis.

Early detection of vulnerable plaques is the critical step in the prevention of acute coronary events. Morphology, composition, and mechanical property of a coronary artery have been demonstrated to be the key characteristics for the identification of vulnerable plaques. Several intravascular multimodal imaging technologies providing co-registered simultaneous images have been developed and applied in clinical studies to improve the characterization of atherosclerosis. In this paper, the authors review the present system and probe designs of representative intravascular multimodal techniques. In addition, the scientific innovations, potential limitations, and future directions of these technologies are also discussed.