High frame-rate intravascular optical frequency-domain imaging in vivo.
Intravascular optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI), a second-generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, enables imaging of the three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of the vessel wall following a short and nonocclusive clear liquid flush. Although 3D vascular visualization provides a greater appreciation of the vessel wall and intraluminal structures, a longitudinal imaging pitch that is several times bigger than the optical imaging resolution of the system has limited true high-resolution 3D imaging, mainly due to the slow scanning speed of previous imaging catheters. Here, we demonstrate high frame-rate intravascular OFDI in vivo, acquiring images at a rate of 350 frames per second. A custom-built, high-speed, and high-precision fiber-optic rotary junction provided uniform and high-speed beam scanning through a custom-made imaging catheter with an outer diameter of 0.87 mm. A 47-mm-long rabbit aorta was imaged in 3.7 seconds after a short contrast agent flush. The longitudinal imaging pitch was 34 μm, comparable to the transverse imaging resolution of the system. Three-dimensional volume-rendering showed greatly enhanced visualization of tissue microstructure and stent struts relative to what is provided by conventional intravascular imaging speeds.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
Han Saem
HS
Cho
Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea ; Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
Sun-Joo
SJ
Jang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea ; Department of Computer Science, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
Kyunghun
K
Kim
Hyunjoo In-Tech, Suite 1901, Daeryung Post Tower 1, 212-8 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-790, South Korea.
Alexey V
AV
Dan-Chin-Yu
Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 40 Blossom Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Milen
M
Shishkov
Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 40 Blossom Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Brett E
BE
Bouma
Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
Wang-Yuhl
WY
Oh
(170.2150) Endoscopic imaging; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (170.4500) Optical coherence tomography