Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 9, 2026
Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography for Functional Imaging in Vascular Research
Published on: June 8, 2022
Multimodal PSOCT-NIRS catheter for guided ablation of atrial fibrillation
Michael Douglass1, Reza Mohammadpour1, Walter Hoyt2
1Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Engineering Department, Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Significance:
Atrial fibrillation is treated with thermal ablation to isolate ectopic signals. Although this is the current standard of care, recurrence occurs in up to 40% of cases. Clinicians have no reliable way to predict treatment durability intraoperatively. Adding the capability of direct optical measurement of the tissue to an ablation catheter could help better guide the treatment.
Aim:
A radiofrequency ablation catheter was developed with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to demonstrate, for the first time, simultaneous monitoring of thermal lesion formation.
Approach:
We fabricated the multimodal PSOCT-NIRS ablation catheter and validated optical metrics using known targets of tissue-like phantom, deoxygenated blood, and atrial tissue. We then demonstrated recording PSOCT and NIRS data during ex vivo ablation of swine atria.
Results:
PSOCT-NIRS metrics showed expected values in known targets. Measurements during ablation also exhibited previously reported patterns-OCT scattering increases, PSOCT birefringence decreases, and NIRS lesion optical index increases. Furthermore, simultaneous measurement revealed varying rates of change and magnitudes of response to different powers of thermal ablation.
Conclusions:
PSOCT-NIRS can measure tissue response to thermal energy delivery, and the optical metrics are complementary. By collecting more information during thermal energy delivery, PSOCT-NIRS metrics could contribute to understanding treatment durability in future investigations.
Insights
This study introduces a novel ablation catheter integrating optical coherence tomography and near-infrared spectroscopy to monitor thermal lesion formation in real-time, potentially improving atrial fibrillation treatment durability.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Optical Imaging
- Cardiovascular Interventions
Background:
- Atrial fibrillation treatment relies on thermal ablation, but recurrence rates reach 40% due to unpredictable durability.
- Current methods lack intraoperative tools to assess treatment effectiveness in real-time.
- Optical measurements integrated into ablation catheters could enhance treatment guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a multimodal ablation catheter combining Polarization-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PSOCT) and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS).
- To demonstrate simultaneous monitoring of thermal lesion formation during radiofrequency ablation.
- To assess the feasibility of using optical metrics for predicting treatment durability.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a novel PSOCT-NIRS integrated ablation catheter.
- Validation of optical metrics using tissue phantoms, blood, and ex vivo swine atrial tissue.
- Recording PSOCT and NIRS data during ex vivo radiofrequency ablation procedures.
Main Results:
- PSOCT-NIRS metrics demonstrated expected values in validation targets.
- Ablation monitoring showed characteristic changes: increased OCT scattering, decreased PSOCT birefringence, and increased NIRS lesion optical index.
- Simultaneous measurements revealed varying responses to different ablation power levels.
Conclusions:
- The PSOCT-NIRS catheter can effectively measure tissue response to thermal energy delivery.
- Complementary optical metrics provide comprehensive data during ablation.
- This technology holds promise for improving the understanding and prediction of thermal ablation treatment durability.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
01:13Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview
The ATR process begins by directing a beam...