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Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Intravascular Ultrasound Image-Based Finite Element Modeling Approach for Quantifying In Vivo Mechanical Properties of Human Coronary Artery
Published on: December 6, 2024
Intravascular Polarimetry for Tissue Characterization of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Kenichiro Otsuka1, Martin Villiger1, Seemantini K Nadkarni1
1Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.
Abstract:
The microscopic tissue structure and organization influence the polarization of light. Intravascular polarimetry leverages this compelling intrinsic contrast mechanism by using polarization-sensitive optical frequency domain imaging to measure the polarization properties of the coronary arterial wall. Tissues rich in collagen and smooth muscle cells appear birefringent, while the presence of lipid causes depolarization, offering quantitative metrics related to the presence of important components of coronary atherosclerosis. Here, we review the basic principle, the interpretation of polarization signatures, and first clinical investigations of intravascular polarimetry and discuss how this extension of contemporary intravascular imaging may advance our knowledge and improve clinical practice in the future.
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