Qifa Zhou - Multimodality Imaging: For Intravascular Application

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Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that is characterized by the accumulation of lipids, cholesterol, fibrous constituents, monocytes, and various other inflammatory cells in the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Mortality from heart attack (86%) is mainly due to vulnerable plaques which rupture suddenly and trigger a blood clot or thrombus that blocks blood flow. Early detection of plaque lesions is the first and necessary step in preventing the lethal consequences of atherosclerosis. Diagnosis of the latent vulnerability of a plaque lesion relies on both tissue structural and chemical compositions. Multimodality intravascular imaging that can provide both structural and molecular information will provide clinicians with a critically important tool for diagnosing vulnerable plaques, monitoring the progression of disease, and evaluating the efficacy of intervention.

We have selected the top experts in the field as chapter authors, many of whom have worked continuously on multimodality intravascular imaging since their Ph.D. work. Therefore, this book will cover recent research progress on integrated multimodal intravascular imaging systems which combine intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular photoacoustic imaging (IVPA), fluorescence life imaging (both system and contrast), and therapeutic IVUS.

In this book, we will first introduce the multimodality intravascular imaging (Chap. , respectively.

We greatly appreciate all the authors and laboratory members who gave their time and contributed significant research work for this compilation. Without their help, this book would not have reached fruition. We also wish to acknowledge the work of Dr. Ruimin Chen who contributed the editorial help for this book. We hope that this book will help biomedical engineers as well as clinicians.