Contents
Quick Takes
Virtual Biopsies
A new imaging technique provides inner 3-D views of porcine blood vessels in vivo, according to a report in the December 2006 issue of Nature Medicine. Researchers used a minimally-invasive catheter to deliver a tiny imaging probe to pigs’ arteries, obtaining microscopic images. The same technique could help physicians inspect coronary arteries for high-risk plaques or damaged tissue.
The imaging probe,measuring less than 1 mm in diameter, works by rotating an optical fiber that is shaped to focus and direct infrared light into the vessel wall. The researchers measured the back-scattered light collected by the probe and then used computations to create longitudinal or cross-sectional views of the vessels.
The technique was developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in part through NCRR funding. This type of 3-D microscopy could bridge the gap between low-resolution radiological techniques and excisional biopsies. Unlike other existing high-resolution microscopy techniques, images can be obtained in a matter of seconds.
The technique, named optical frequency-domain imaging, can also be used to examine the gastrointestinal tract or detect early cancerous lesions.
A 3-D image of a porcine artery and stent (in blue) is created using a new type of laser microscopy. (Photo courtesy of Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital)
