Photoacoustic imaging of carotid artery atherosclerosis

We introduce a method for photoacoustic imaging of the carotid artery, tailored toward detection of lipid-rich atherosclerotic lesions. A common human carotid artery was obtained at autopsy, embedded in a neck mimicking phantom and imaged with a multimodality imaging system using interstitial illumination. Light was delivered through a 1.25-mm...

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...