Purdue researchers have developed a new method of imaging the 3D structure of plaques within arteries using a nanosecond pulsed near-infrared laser. Currently tested in a laboratory environment, the researchers are now working on miniaturizing this technology for 3D visualization of arteries in clinical settings. The research is scheduled to be published next week in Physical Review Letters.
The imaging reveals the presence of carbon-hydrogen bonds making up lipid molecules in arterial plaques that cause heart disease. The method also might be used to detect fat molecules in muscles to diagnose diabetes and for other lipid-related disorders, including neurological conditions and brain trauma. The technique also reveals nitrogen-hydrogen bonds making up proteins, meaning the imaging tool also might be useful for diagnosing other diseases and to study collagen’s role in scar formation.
The laser generates molecular “overtone” vibrations, or wavelengths that are not absorbed by the blood. The pulsed laser causes tissue to heat and expand locally, generating pressure waves at the ultrasound frequency that can be picked up with a device called a transducer.
The Purdue researchers are the first to show that a strong photoacoustic signal can arise from the absorption of light by the chemical bonds in molecules. The near-infrared laser causes enough heating to generate ultrasound but not enough to damage tissue.
The approach represents a major improvement over another imaging technique, called coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, or CARS, which has been used by the Purdue-based lab to study three-dimensional plaque formation in arteries.
Full story: New imaging tech promising for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, diabetes …