METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINATION OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE TYPE BY MEASUREMENT OF TISSUE OPTICAL PROPERTIES
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Abstract
Methods for diagnosing vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque using optical coherence tomography to measure tissue optical properties, including backreflectance of heterogeneous layers, such as plaque cap, lipid pool composition and macrophage presence. Methods also include measurement of spatially and temporally dependent reflectance, measurement of multiple wavelength reflectance, low coherence interferometry, polarization and quantification of macrophage content.
98 Citations
21 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with at least one plaque structure, comprising:
at least one arrangement which is configured to receive at least one interferometric signal which is associated with at least one first electromagnetic radiation returned from the at least one plaque structure and at least one second electromagnetic radiation returned from a reference, wherein the at least one first arrangement is configured to generate at least one further signal which is associated with the at least one interferometric signal, and wherein the signal is associated with a birefringence of the at least one plaque structure. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A new method for obtaining information associated with at least one plaque structure, comprising:
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receiving at least one interferometric signal which is associated with at least one first electromagnetic radiation returned from the at least one plaque structure and at least one second electromagnetic radiation returned from a reference; and generating at least one further signal which is associated with the at least one interferometric signal, wherein the further signal is associated with a birefringence of the at least one plaque structure.
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Specification