Intravascular molecular-structural imaging with a miniaturized integrated near-infrared fluorescence and ultrasound...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death, necessitating advanced diagnostic tools.
• Current imaging methods like intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) lack molecular information.
• There is a need for integrated systems that provide both structural and molecular data for comprehensive CAD assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a miniaturized, hybrid intravascular catheter system for simultaneous near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and IVUS imaging.
• To assess the feasibility of this hybrid catheter for in vitro and in vivo imaging of coronary arteries.
• To demonstrate the potential of combined molecular and structural imaging for characterizing CAD.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 1.0 mm (3.0 French) hybrid catheter integrating NIRF and IVUS capabilities.
• In vitro testing using coronary stents and NIR fluorophores to compare sensor designs.
• In vivo intravascular imaging in pig coronary arteries to demonstrate simultaneous, co-registered molecular-structural imaging of inflammation.

Main Results:

• The hybrid catheter achieved simultaneous NIRF-IVUS imaging in vitro and in vivo.
• Demonstrated co-registered molecular-structural imaging of experimental CAD inflammation in pig coronary arteries.
• Compared NIRF signal strengths for different sensor designs in various scattering media.

Conclusions:

• The NIRF-IVUS catheter system offers a significant advancement over standalone IVUS.
• This technology enables comprehensive phenotyping of vascular disease, including inflammation.
• Potential to improve patient assessment and treatment strategies for coronary artery disease.