We report an integrated ultrasound (US) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe and system for intravascular imaging. The dual-function probe is based on a 50 MHz focused ring US transducer, with a centric hole for mounting OCT probe. The coaxial US and light beams are steered by a 45° mirror to enable coregistered US∕OCT imaging simultaneously. Lateral resolution of US is improved due to focused ultrasonic beam. Mirror effects on US were investigated and invitro imaging of a rabbit aorta has been carried out. The combined US-OCT system demonstrated high resolution in visualizing superficial arterial structures while retaining deep penetration of ultrasonic imaging.

We report on the feasibility of rapid, high-resolution, 3-D swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) to detect early airway injury changes following smoke inhalation exposure in a rabbit model. The SSOCT system obtains 3-D helical scanning using a microelectromechanical system motor-based endoscope. Real-time 2-D data processing and image display at the speed of 20 frames/s are achieved by adopting the technique of parallel computing. Longitudinal images are reconstructed via an image processing algorithm to remove motion artifacts caused by ventilation and pulse. Quantitative analyses of tracheal airway thickness as well as thickness distribution along tracheal circumference are also performed based on the comprehensive 3-D volumetric data.

We report on a dual-modality optical coherence tomography (OCT) ultrasound (US) system for intravascular imaging. To the best of our knowledge, we have developed the first integrated OCT-US probe that combines OCT optical components with an US transducer. The OCT optical components mainly consist of a single-mode fiber, a gradient index lens for light-beam focusing, and a right-angled prism for reflecting light into biological tissue. A 40-MHz piezoelectric transducer (PZT-5H) side-viewing US transducer was fabricated to obtain the US image. These components were integrated into a single probe, enabling both OCT and US imaging at the same time. In vitro OCT and ultrasound images of a rabbit aorta were obtained using this dual-modality imaging system. This study demonstrates the feasibility of an OCT-US system for intravascular imaging, which is expected to have a prominent impact on early detection and characterization of atherosclerosis.

We have developed a dual-modality biomedical imaging probe utilizing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). It consists of an OCT probe, a miniature ultrasonic transducer and a fixed mirror. The mirror was mounted at the head of the hybrid probe 45° relative to the light and the ultrasound beams to change their propagation directions. The probe was designed to be able to cover a larger area in blood vessel by IVUS and then visualize a specific point at a much finer image resolution using OCT. To demonstrate both its feasibility and potential clinical applications, we used this ultrasound-guide OCT probe to image a rabbit aorta in vitro. The results offer convincing evidence that the complementary natures of these two modalities may yield beneficial results that could not have otherwise been obtained.

Smoke inhalation injury is frequently accompanied by cyanide poisoning that may result in substantial morbidity and mortality, and methods are needed to quantitatively determine extent of airway injury. We utilized a 3-D endoscopic frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) constructed with a swept-source laser to investigate morphological airway changes following smoke and cyanide exposure in rabbits. The thickness of the mucosal area between the epithelium and cartilage in the airway was measured and quantified. 3-D endoscopic FD-OCT was able to detect significant increases in the thickness of the tracheal walls of the rabbit beginning almost immediately after smoke inhalation injuries which were similar to those with combined smoke and cyanide poisoning.

Intracoronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) are two popular techniques for the detection and determination of atherosclerosis. IVUS allows visualization of plaques while also providing a large penetration depth to determine plaque volume. Intracoronary OCT provides the ability to capture microscopic features associated with high risk plaque. Traditionally to utilize the benefits of both modalities, separate probes and systems had to be used one at a time to image a vessel. We present work required to create a combined OCT IVUS system capable of simultaneous imaging to detect atherosclerotic plaques. A novel integrated probe of size 0.69 mm OD featuring sequential placement of components was created to acquire co-registered images within small coronary vessels. By utilizing commercial graphics processing units (GPUs) real time visualization of acquired data is possible up to a maximum 48 frames per second per channel. In vitro studies on human coronary artery samples as well as in vivo studies in rabbits and pigs show various plaque buildups in both OCT and IVUS images which match histology results, demonstrating the capabilities of the system. © 2012 SPIE.

A miniature integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) - ultrasound (US) probing system for real-time intravascular imaging has been developed. The outer diameter of the integrated probe is 0.69 mm, which is small enough for imaging in human coronary arteries. This probe, which has high resolution and deep tissue penetration, is designed to identify vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries. The first in vivo images of a rabbit abdominal aorta obtained by the integrated OCT-US probe are presented. © 2012 SPIE.

We report on the development of a multimodal optical coherence tomography (OCT) - ultrasound (US) system and miniaturized OCT-US probe for intravascular imaging. Both OCT optical components and a US transducer were integrated into a single probe, enabling both OCT and US imaging at the same time. A miniaturized OCT-US probe using a single element transducer was designed with a maximum outer diameter of 0.8 mm, which is suitable for in vivo intravascular imaging. The integrated OCT-US imaging system adopted a two-channel data acquisition card to digitize both OCT and US signals. Simultaneous OCT and US data processing and image display were also achieved using our home-developed software. In vitro OCT and US imaging of human aortic tissue was performed using this multimodal imaging system, which demonstrated the feasibility of the OCT-US system in intravascular imaging and its potential in detection of atherosclerotic plaques. © 2011 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).