New imaging technology ‘could aid identification of heart disease’

A new technological innovation has been developed that could make it easier to use intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) techniques for arterial imaging.

Researchers from Purdue University, the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics have developed a new IVPA catheter design that offers collinear overlap between optical and acoustic waves with a tiny probe.

IVPA can be used to produce 3D images of the insides of arteries. However, to date, there have been difficulties in creating imaging instruments that meet clinical requirements while illuminating arteries to a useful depth and at quick enough speeds.

The new catheter allows the optical beam and sound wave to share the same path throughout the imaging process, increasing the sensitivity and the imaging depth of the instrument.

This makes it easier to take precise scans of fatty arteries, potentially making it easier to identify patients at risk of heart disease.

Professor Ji-Xin Cheng of Purdue University said: "It wasn't easy. We tried different fibres, micro mirrors and various assembly methods. Fortunately, we finally got this idea to work."