Riksen Jonas J M, Chandramoorthi Sowmiya, Van der Steen Antonius F W, Van Soest Gijs
Department of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Verasonics Inc, Kirkland, WA, USA.
Photoacoustics. 2024 Jul 22;38:100636. doi: 10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100636. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Spectral photoacoustic imaging in combination with unmixing techniques may be applied to retrieve information about high-risk features present in atherosclerotic plaques, possibly providing prognostic insights into future stroke events. We present the photoacoustic spectral contrast found in 12 systematically scanned advanced atherosclerotic plaques in the near-infrared wavelength range (850-1250 nm). The main absorbers are lipid, water, and hemoglobin, with the highest photoacoustic intensities at the lipid's second overtone at 1190 and 1210 nm. Linear unmixing resulted in visualizing regions with high lipid and hemoglobin absorption, corresponding to the histological presence of lipid and intraplaque hemorrhage. A non-negative matrix factorization approach reveals differences in lipid spectral contrast, providing potential insights into the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaque. These results provide a reference for future, more complex, photoacoustic imaging of carotid artery atherosclerosis, potentially contributing to assessing the risk of future events and treatment decision.
光谱光声成像结合解混技术可用于获取动脉粥样硬化斑块中存在的高危特征信息，可能为未来中风事件提供预后见解。我们展示了在12个系统扫描的晚期动脉粥样硬化斑块中，近红外波长范围（850 - 1250nm）内发现的光声光谱对比度。主要吸收物质是脂质、水和血红蛋白，在脂质的二次谐波1190和1210nm处具有最高的光声强度。线性解混导致可视化脂质和血红蛋白高吸收区域，对应于脂质和斑块内出血的组织学存在。非负矩阵分解方法揭示了脂质光谱对比度的差异，为动脉粥样硬化斑块的易损性提供了潜在见解。这些结果为未来更复杂的颈动脉粥样硬化光声成像提供了参考，可能有助于评估未来事件的风险和治疗决策。
