Lesion detection

A chemical imaging technique that could help in the treatment of atherosclerosis has been developed by a team at Imperial College London.

Atherosclerosis is a condition caused by the build up of fatty material, such as cholesterol, which results in the thickening of artery walls. It is characterised by lesions in the arteries made of fats, collagen and cells, which can cause heart attacks and strokes if they rupture.

The Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging (ATR-FTIR imaging) technique has been developed as part of an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project to understand the chemical composition of these lesions.

The system works by using infrared light to identify different chemical molecules, which are mapped by an array detector to create a ‘chemical photograph’. Researchers at Imperial College have used the technique to study the effects of age and L-arginine on the composition of lesions in cholesterol-fed rabbits and are hoping it will aid doctors by providing real-time images of lesions in human arteries.