Simulated imaging of atherosclerotic & radiofrequency ablation lesions using phase subtraction

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation are structural and electrical pathophysiology, respectively, that can lead to acute events such as stroke or myocardial infarction. We used particle-based Monte Carlo methods to simulate X-ray phase imaging of atherosclerotic plaque types IV-VIII in the aorta, iliac, and coronary arteries. We also assessed scar lesion development in radiofrequency catheter ablation treatment of atrial fibrillation by simulating lesions 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60 days post-procedure. For both applications, we found high signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in all lesions. These results suggest that X-ray phase imaging is a viable technique for non-invasive quantitative cardiovascular lesion characterization.