The new ultrasound device will help identify “vulnerable” plaque that increases risk of heart attack or stroke. Click to enlarge. Photo: Xiaoning Jiang. The new ultrasound device will help identify “vulnerable” plaque that increases risk of heart attack or stroke. Photo: Xiaoning Jiang.
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed an ultrasound device that could help identify arterial plaque that is at high risk of breaking off and causing heart attack or stroke.
At issue is the plaque that builds up in arteries as we age. Some types of plaque are deemed “vulnerable,” meaning that they are more likely to detach from the artery wall and cause heart attack or stroke.
“Existing state-of-the-art technologies are capable of determining if plaque is present in the arteries, but can’t tell whether it’s vulnerable. And that makes it difficult to assess a patient’s risk,” says Dr. Paul Dayton, co-author of a paper on the new device and professor in the joint biomedical engineering department at NC State and Chapel Hill. “Our goal was to develop something that could effectively identify which plaques are vulnerable.”
There are two ultrasound techniques that can help identify vulnerable plaques, but both depend on the use of contrast agents called “microbubbles.”
The first technique is to identify “vasa vasorum” in arteries. These are clusters of small blood vessels that often infiltrate arterial plaque, and which are considered indicators that a plaque is vulnerable. When microbubbles are injected into an artery, they follow the flow of the blood. If vasa vasorum are present, the microbubbles will flow through these blood vessels as well, effectively highlighting them on ultrasound images.
The second technique is called molecular imaging, and relies on the use of “targeted” microbubbles. These microbubbles attach themselves to specific molecules that are more likely to be found in vulnerable plaques, making the plaques stand out on ultrasound images.
“The problem is that existing intravascular ultrasound technology does not do a very good job in detecting contrast agents,” says Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, an NC State associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering and co-author of the paper.
“So we’ve developed a dual-frequency intravascular ultrasound transducer which transmits and receives acoustic signals,” Jiang says. “Operating on two frequencies allows us to do everything the existing intravascular ultrasound devices can do, but also makes it much easier for us to detect the contrast agents – or microbubbles – used for molecular imaging and vasa vasorum detection.”
The prototype device has performed well in laboratory testing, but the researchers say they are continuing to optimize the technology. They hope to launch pre-clinical studies in the near future.
The Latest on: Detecting Risk for Heart Attack Stroke
via Google News
The Latest on: Detecting Risk for Heart Attack Stroke
- Why blood pressure readings should be taken from BOTH arms: Experts say current method misses millions with killer conditionon August 4, 2022 at 8:28 am
High blood pressure can trigger heart attacks and stroke, two of the world's biggest ... it’s important to check both arms.' He added: 'Detecting high blood pressure correctly is a vital ...
- What gout flare-ups may mean to your risk of heart attack and strokeon August 3, 2022 at 8:38 am
We are part of The Trust Project. ROCHESTER — If you have a gout flare-up, your risk of having a heart attack or stroke may rise during the four months afterward. That's according to a new study ...
- How Gout Flare-ups May Increase the Risk of Heart Attack, Strokeon August 2, 2022 at 1:55 am
Researchers say people who have gout are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within 60 days of a flare-up.
- Peripheral artery disease can signal cardiovascular trouble for heart, brain and legson August 1, 2022 at 2:49 pm
The plan outlines goals to increase awareness of the disease for patients and health care providers; improve detection ... such as the heart, brain or leg — then you are at very high risk of heart ...
- Apple Watch helps doctors discover tumor growing in woman's hearton August 1, 2022 at 10:49 am
She never expected it to detect the first signs of a life-threatening condition that required open-heart surgery to prevent ... medication to lower their stroke risk — even if the gadget had ...
- Covid infection could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseaseon August 1, 2022 at 10:25 am
Recent studies suggest COVID-19 could increase the risk ... stroke 7 years before death [BREAKING] Alzheimer's: New study finds sign that appears 17 years in advance [DEMENTIA] Heart attack ...
- Hypertension among millennials is a growing concernon July 28, 2022 at 11:53 pm
Former Mahsa University Professor of Community Health, Prof Dr Hematram Yadav defined hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, as a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risk of ...
- A Quick and Easy Scan Is a Reliable Predictor of Dementiaon July 26, 2022 at 4:40 am
Long-term research has shown that a routine bone density scan may also detect calcified plaque build-up in the abdominal aorta, indicating if someone is more likely to develop dementia. Late-life ...
- What is the cost of diagnosis, treatment for strokeson July 24, 2022 at 6:00 pm
In the fifth part of this series on major illnesses in India, we tell you the cost of diagnosis and treatment for strokes, so that you can ensure adequate insurance and financial readiness.
via Bing News