Plaque characterization in ex vivo MRI evaluated by dense 3D correspondence with histology

Automatic quantification of carotid artery plaque composition is important in the development of methods that distinguish vulnerable from stable plaques. MRI has shown to be capable of imaging different components noninvasively. We present a new plaque classification method which uses 3D registration of histology data with ex vivo MRI data,...

Optimizing drug delivery using non-uniform magnetic fields: A numerical study

A comprehensive computational model for simulating magnetic drug targeting was developed and extensively tested in a cylindrical geometry. The efficiency for particle capture in a specific magnetic field and geometry was shown to be dependent on a single dimensionless number. The effect of secondary flows, a non-Newtonian viscosity and...

Mathematical models for atherosclerotic plaque evolution

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which low density lipoproteins (LDL) accumulate in the arterial wall due to an inflammatory response, which is triggered by the oxidation of LDL molecules that are already present in the arterial wall. Progression of atherosclerotic plaques involves many components which includes, macrophages, monocytes, LDL,...

Particle image velocimetry for microscale blood flow measurement

The development, the regulation, and the pathology of the circulatory system (e.g. cardiogenesis, thermoregulation, atherosclerosis) are determined by blood flow induced mechanical forces. While this proposition has been confirmed during recent years, the exact mechanisms still remain unclear. This is mainly due to the fact that those forces...

Dynamic laser speckle imaging for velocimetry in blood flow: A numerical study

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, for example by causing strokes. Timely diagnosis of such diseases is pivotal for a patient’s chance of survival. Furthermore, in the present world in which medical expenses are going through the roof, we can save greatly on costs if certain diseases are detected in an...

Intravascular Photoacoustic Imaging: A New Tool for Vulnerable Plaque Identification

The vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque is believed to be at the root of the majority of acute coronary events. Even though the exact origins of plaque vulnerability remain elusive, the thin-cap fibroatheroma, characterized by a lipid-rich necrotic core covered by a thin fibrous cap, is considered to be the most prominent type of vulnerable plaque...

Photoacoustic imaging of human coronary atherosclerosis in two spectral bands

Spectroscopic intravascular photoacoustic imaging (sIVPA) has shown promise to detect and distinguish lipids in atherosclerotic plaques. sIVPA generally utilizes one of the two high absorption bands in the lipid absorption spectrum at 1.2 ?m and 1.7 ?m. Specific absorption signatures of various lipid compounds within the bands in either...

Estimating 3D lumen centerlines of carotid arteries in free-hand acquisition ultrasound

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to estimate the carotid artery lumen centerlines in ultrasound (US) images obtained in a free-hand examination. Challenging aspects here are speckle noise in US images, artifacts, and the lack of contrast in the direction orthogonal to the US beam direction. Method An algorithm based...

Atherosclerotic plaque fibrous cap assessment under an oblique scan plane orientation in carotid MRI

Carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to noninvasively assess atherosclerotic plaque fibrous cap (FC) status, which is closely related to ischemic stroke. Acquiring anisotropic voxels improves in-plane visualization, however, an oblique scan plane orientation could then obscure a FC (i.e., contrast below the noise level) and thus...

Spectroscopic intravascular photoacoustic imaging of lipids in atherosclerosis

The natural history of atherosclerosis is marked by changes in the lipid biochemistry in the diseased arterial wall. As lesions become more vulnerable, different cholesterol species accumulate in the plaque. Understanding unstable atherosclerosis as a pharmacological and interventional therapeutic target requires chemically specific imaging of...

An Implantable Artificial Atherosclerotic Plaque as a Novel Approach for Drug Transport Studies on Drug-Eluting Stents

Atherosclerotic arteries are commonly treated using drug-eluting stents (DES). However, it remains unclear whether and how the properties of atherosclerotic plaque affect drug transport in the arterial wall. A limitation of the currently used atherosclerotic animal models to study arterial drug distribution is the unpredictability of plaque...

The Correlation Between Wall Shear Stress and Plaque Composition in Advanced Human Carotid Atherosclerosis

The role of wall shear stress (WSS) in atherosclerotic plaque development is evident, but the relation between WSS and plaque composition in advanced atherosclerosis, potentially resulting in plaque destabilization, is a topic of discussion. Using our previously developed image registration pipeline, we investigated the relation between two...

Multicomponent Mechanical Characterization of Atherosclerotic Human Coronary Arteries: An Experimental and Computational Hybrid Approach

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture in coronary arteries, an important trigger of myocardial infarction, is shown to correlate with high levels of pressure-induced mechanical stresses in plaques. Finite element (FE) analyses are commonly used for plaque stress assessment. However, the required information of heterogenous material properties of...