The Stress Phase Angle Measurement Using Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• The stress phase angle (SPA) quantifies interactions between circumferential stress (CS) and wall shear stress (WSS) in arteries.
• SPA is a critical biomarker for the early detection of cardiovascular diseases.
• Current methods for SPA measurement are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for measuring SPA.
• To utilize spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for SPA assessment.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of SD-OCT in cardiovascular diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• A multi-M-mode scan strategy was employed for interference spectrum acquisition using SD-OCT.
• Circumferential stress (CS) and wall shear stress (WSS) phases were extracted from SD-OCT structural and flow velocity images.
• The novel SPA measurement technique was validated in chick embryonic heart outflow tracts and mouse common carotid arteries.

Main Results:

• A new method for measuring SPA using SD-OCT was successfully proposed and implemented.
• The technique allowed for the extraction of CS and WSS phases from SD-OCT data.
• SPA was measured in relevant biological models, demonstrating the method's applicability.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first application of OCT for SPA measurement.
• The developed SD-OCT method offers a promising tool for cardiovascular disease research and diagnosis.
• This technique advances non-invasive assessment of arterial wall biomechanics.