Towards in-vivo photoacoustic imaging of atherosclerotic plaques

Methods Medical ultrasound provides structural and mechanical information of plaques. Although mechanical contrast between the plaque and arterial wall is low, a significant optical contrast exists. Photoacoustic imaging measures the optical absorption distribution acoustically. Combining optical contrast with acoustic resolution makes photoacoustic imaging (PAI) a promising diagnostic tool for cardiovascular applications. Pre-clinical validation The validation of feasibility of PAI will be done in three steps: