Method and apparatus for determination of atherosclerotic plaque type by measurement of tissue optical properties
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for obtaining at least one quantitative characteristic associated with at least one plaque structure, comprising:
- at least one first arrangement which is configured to receive at least one interferometric signal which results from a combination of 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
at least one second arrangement which is configured to determine the at least one quantitative characteristic of the at least one plaque structure as a function of the at least one further signal, wherein the at least one quantitative characteristic associated with the at least one plaque structure comprises a concentration of a substance within the at least one plaque structure.
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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.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for obtaining at least one quantitative characteristic associated with at least one plaque structure, comprising:
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at least one first arrangement which is configured to receive at least one interferometric signal which results from a combination of 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 at least one second arrangement which is configured to determine the at least one quantitative characteristic of the at least one plaque structure as a function of the at least one further signal, wherein the at least one quantitative characteristic associated with the at least one plaque structure comprises a concentration of a substance within the at least one plaque structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for obtaining at least one quantitative characteristic associated with at least one plaque anatomical structure, comprising:
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at least one first arrangement which is configured to receive at least one interferometric signal which results from a combination of at least one first electromagnetic radiation returned from the at least one plaque anatomical 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 at least one second arrangement which is configured to determine the at least one quantitative characteristic of the at least one plaque anatomical structure as a function of the at least one further signal, wherein the at least one quantitative characteristic associated with the at least one plaque anatomical structure comprises at least one of (i) a dimensional characteristic associated with the at least one plaque anatomical structure or (ii) a concentration of a substance within the at least one plaque anatomical structure, wherein a first one of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation is at least partially returned from a first depth of the at least one plaque anatomical structure, wherein a second one of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation is at least partially returned from a second depth of the at least one anatomical structure, and wherein the first depth is different from the second depth, and wherein the at least one arrangement is configured to determine data associated with a spatial location of the at least one plaque anatomical structure within a sample based on the a combination of the first and second ones of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation.
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22. A method for obtaining at least one quantitative characteristic associated with at least one plaque structure, comprising:
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receiving at least one interferometric signal which results from a combination of 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; generating at least one further signal which is associated with the at least one interferometric signal; and determining the at least one quantitative characteristic of the at least one plaque structure as a function of the at least one further signal, wherein the at least one quantitative characteristic associated with the at least one plaque structure comprises a concentration of a substance within the at least one plaque structure. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for obtaining at least one quantitative characteristic associated with at least one plaque anatomical structure, comprising:
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receiving at least one interferometric signal which results from a combination of at least one first electromagnetic radiation returned from the at least one plaque anatomical structure and at least one second electromagnetic radiation returned from a reference; generating at least one further signal which is associated with the at least one interferometric signal; and determining the at least one quantitative characteristic of the at least one plaque structure as a function of the at least one further signal, wherein the at least one quantitative characteristic associated with the at least one plaque anatomical structure comprises at least one of (i) a dimensional characteristic associated with the at least one plaque anatomical structure or (ii) a concentration of a substance within the at least one plaque anatomical structure, wherein the at least one plaque structure is at least one anatomical structure, wherein a first one of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation is at least partially returned from a first depth of the at least one plaque anatomical structure, wherein a second one of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation is at least partially returned from a second depth of the at least one plaque anatomical structure, wherein the first depth is different from the second depth, and wherein the at least one arrangement is configured to determine data associated with a spatial location of the at least one plaque anatomical structure within a sample based on the a combination of the first and second ones of the at least one first electromagnetic radiation.
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Specification