Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Combined with Conventional Intravascular Ultrasound for Enhanced Assessment of Atherosclerotic Plaques: an Ex Vivo Study in Human Coronary Arteries
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: This study evaluates the ability of label-free fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) to complement intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for concurrent visualization of human coronary vessel composition, structure, and pathology. Co-registered FLIm and IVUS data from 16 coronary segments were correlated to eight distinct pathological features including thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for combined FLIm-IVUS (89, 99, 89 %) were better than FLIm (70, 98, 88 %) and IVUS (45, 94, 62 %) alone in distinguishing between pathologies. FLIm can assess compositional changes in luminal surface through variations in fluorescence lifetime values (<3.5 ns for lipid-rich areas; >4 ns for collagen-rich areas) enabling detection of macrophages in fibrous caps (sensitivity, 86 %) and distinguishing between relatively stable thick-cap fibroatheromas and rupture-prone TCFA (sensitivity, 80 %) amongst other features. Current results demonstrate the potential of FLIm-IVUS as a new intravascular method for improved evaluation of plaques that may subsequently aid in guiding coronary intervention.
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,390
Funders: University of Pennsylvania, Boston Scientific Corporation, National Institutes of Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
OpenAlex ID: W1970000022