Estimation of microcirculation in atherosclerotic plaques using ultrasound

Early identification and treatment of patients with atherosclerotic plaques prone to rupture before the occurrence of thrombosis or embolization is one of the most important clinical challenges.

To meet this challenge, we have built a research infrastructure integrated into a clinical network and gained decades of experience in researching vascular ultrasound signal processing and image analysis.

Our current focus is on quantifying vasa vasorum neovascularization – an important piece of information lacking during individual atherosclerotic plaque risk stratification.

In other words, we are developing a method to measure the occurrence and flow in tiny micro vessels that invade plaques during the inflammatory process.

The technical challenge is to detect the flow in small vessels in the presence of nearby larger vessels and tissue motion.Currently, the healthcare system lacks a handheld technique to detect individuals at high risk for stroke or myocardial infarction in a cheap, real-time, bedside, and non-invasive way, without contrast or radiation, and that is easy to tolerate.

In the mid-term perspective, the new technique we are developing will be useful for clinical and pre-clinical researchers interested in the function of microcirculation or the detection of impaired microvascularization.

In the long-term perspective, our aim is for the apparatuses to become the "clinical tool of choice" for characterizing individuals at high risk for stroke or myocardial infarction.