Single cardiac cycle three-dimensional intracoronary optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Device Technology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• High-speed intracoronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers 3D visualization of coronary arteries.
• Current imaging speeds are insufficient, leading to motion artifacts from heartbeat, limiting clinical use.
• Minimizing motion artifacts is crucial for accurate coronary artery assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-speed intracoronary OCT system with prospective electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering.
• To achieve volumetric imaging of long coronary segments within a single cardiac cycle.
• To reduce cardiac motion artifacts for enhanced clinical utility.

Main Methods:

• Developed a high-speed intracoronary OCT system with a frame rate of 500 frames/s and pullback speed of 100 mm/s.
• Integrated prospective electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering technology.
• Performed in vivo imaging in swine to assess coronary arteries and implanted stents.

Main Results:

• Achieved volumetric imaging of 70 mm coronary segments in 0.7 seconds within a single cardiac cycle.
• Demonstrated minimal cardiac motion artifact during high-speed pullback.
• Enabled detailed 3D visualization of coronary arterial wall architecture and stent microstructure.

Conclusions:

• The developed high-speed OCT system with ECG triggering significantly reduces cardiac motion artifacts.
• This technology allows for rapid, artifact-minimized volumetric imaging of coronary arteries.
• It holds potential for improved diagnosis and interventional guidance in cardiology.