Atherosclerotic Plaques Using a NIR Fiber-Optic Catheter
In vivo chemical analysis and high-resolution imaging of atherosclerotic plaques using a near-IR fiber-optic catheter
Imaging algorithms for massively parallel supercomputers and intraarterial fiber-optic "cameras" are used in this project. The nondestructive chemical analysis of single lesions over time gives a new understanding of the mechanisms of lesion formation and growth. With other traditional techniques, vascular tissue must be removed before cholesterol and ox-LDL can be assayed. The advantage of the near-IR technique is that repeated analyses are possible of the same lesion during lesion formation and/or treatment. The technique will make possible tests of theories of lesion formation that are not possible with traditional techniques.