Hybrid NIRF-IVUS Imaging Catheter
Our novel imaging catheter features a NIRF and IVUS sensor for hybrid biological (NIRF) and anatomical (IVUS) intravascular imaging.
Our catheter monorail is compatible with standard coronary guidewires for efficient delivery into target zones and smooth integration into clinical PCI procedures.
Our portfolio covers a broad range of IPs in the field of intravascular NIRF imaging.
NIRF: Near-Infrared Fluorescence
IVUS: Intravascular Ultrasound
Helical Pullback scan
How do we generate hybrid images of vessels?
Our NIRF and IVUS sensor are co-registered which enables a helical scan of the inside of vessels when the imaging catheter is rotated and pulled back simultaneously. Recorded IVUS and NIRF signals are processed to reconstruct hybrid pullback maps and cross-sectional images.
Harnessing the Power of Near-Infrared Fluorescence (NIRF)
NIRF agents, like FDA-approved Indocyanine Green, can accumulate in the presence of pathological markers of atherosclerosis (i.e. endothelial leakage, macrophages and lipids) in high-risk plaque areas. Intravascular NIRF imaging can detect and quantify the concentration of NIRF agents through circulating blood in vivo and, thus, reveal pathobiological information about the vascular wall which is not visible on standard, anatomical imaging like IVUS. Finally, combing NIRF with IVUS into a hybrid intravascular imaging technology can highlight areas of risk more efficiently and, thus, support the decision making of interventional cardiologist for improved patient outcomes.
Scientific Evidence
In vivo detection of vascular injury using NIRF-IVUS imaging in swine.
Comparison of the standalone IVUS, and the integrated cNIRF-IVUS cross sectional images before and after blood attenuation correction with FM micrographs of anatomically matched tissue sections. Note that injury is not apparent by structural imaging with standalone IVUS. In comparison, injury demarcated by ICG deposition is clearly recognized on the cNIRF-IVUS merged images in Region 1 and Region 2, as confirmed by FM (orange dotted boxes; red pseudocolor¼ ICG, green pseudocolor¼ FITC autofluorescence). Scale bars in NIRF and cNIRF images, 1 mm. Scale bar in FM images, 0.5 mm.
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Bozhko D, Osborn EA, Rosenthal A, et al. Quantitative intravascular biological fluorescence-ultrasound imaging of coronary and peripheral arteries in vivo. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017;18(11):1253-1261. doi:10.1093/ehjci/jew222
Intravascular NIRF imaging highlights stent inflammation in vivo
Multimodal in vivo and ex vivo imaging of inflammatory protease activity in BMS-, EES-treated, and unstented plaque zones in the abdominal aorta of a representative rabbit. (A) X-ray angiogram of the abdominal aorta. Straight lines show the position of the BMS and the EES. Areas of IVUS– visible plaque (P1 and P2 zones) are highlighted. The blue arrow designates direction of blood flow. (B) In vivo NIRF catheter pullback showing NIRF signal intensity in arbitrary fluorescence units. The y-axis represents the angular dimension (0–360). The x-axis represents the longitudinal/axial dimension in millimetres. The asterisk denotes a guidewire artefact. (C) 1D angle-averaged mean NIRF signal along the longitudinal axis. (D) Fusion of the aligned longitudinal IVUS and intravascular NIRF images. (E) Ex vivo FRI at 800 nm of the resected aorta. AU, arbitrary units; Scale bar, 10 mm.
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Calfon Press MA, Mallas G, Rosenthal A, et al. Everolimus-eluting stents stabilize plaque inflammation in vivo: assessment by intravascular fluorescence molecular imaging. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017;18(5):510-518. doi:10.1093/ehjci/jew228
ICG concentration quantified by NIRF-IVUS correlates to atherosclerotic disease stages in human coronary arteries ex vivo.
Exemplary NIRF-IVUS frames with co-registered histological tissue sections embedded in paraffin and stained with MP and vK indicating 30° tissue segments classified as (a, b) early-stage intimal lesions, (c, d) PIT with extracellular lipid, (e, f) fibroatheroma, (g, h) fibrous or fibrocalcific plaque, (i, j) luminal calcification; (k) Detected ICG-concentration averaged per 30° sector in various pathological classifications of the tissue. *Significant differences p < 0.05; black dots represent the estimated means; whiskers indicate 95% confidence intervals; In all panels: ICG indocyanine green, IVUS intravascular ultrasound, MP Movat Pentachrome, NIRF near-infrared fluorescence, PIT pathological intimal thickening, vK von Kossa. Scale bars: 1 mm.
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Rauschendorfer, P., Lenz, T., Nicol, P. et al. Intravascular ICG-enhanced NIRF-IVUS imaging to assess progressive atherosclerotic lesions in excised human coronary arteries. npj Cardiovasc Health 1, 14 (2024). doi: 10.1038/s44325-024-00016-8