Intravascular acoustic radiation force imaging

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arterial wall, narrowing and hardening the vessel and restricting the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. Plaques characterized by a thin fibrous cap and a soft, lipid-rich necrotic core are vulnerable to rupture, which can result in a heart attack or stroke. Our long-term goal is the development of an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) probe capable of high-resolution acoustic radiation force imaging in the coronary arteries, to identify and characterize vulnerable plaque. We investigate the feasibility of this approach through construction of a prototype transducer and finite-element simulation of soft plaque response to an acoustic radiation force excitation.