Abstract
There is increasing evidence that presence and location of neovascular vasa vasorum play an important role in atherosclerotic plaque pathogenesis and stability. This paper describes a method to detect vasa vasorum with high contrast and high spatial resolution. It uses second harmonic or subharmonic intravascular ultrasound, in combination with ultrasound contrast agents. The same technology in combination with targeted contrast agents is suited for molecular imaging. The potential for vasa vasorum imaging is illustrated using an atherosclerotic animal model and the potential for molecular imaging is illustrated using phantom experiments.
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Biomedical Engineering Department, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands
Biomedical Engineering Department, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Biomedical Engineering Department, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands and Physics of Fluids, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
Biomedical Engineering Department, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands
Correspondence to: A.F.W. van der Steen Biomedical Engineering,Thorax Centre Ee 23.02, Erasmus Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Goertz, D.E., Frijlink, M.E., Krams, R. et al. Vasa vasorum and molecular imaging of atherosclerotic plaques using nonlinear contrast intravascular ultrasound. NHJL 15, 77–80 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03085959
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03085959