Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques
Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, which are prone to rupture, can result in life-threatening events, such as strokes and heart attacks. These plaques are distinguished by features including a large necrotic core, macrophage infiltration, spotty calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, and a thin fib...
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| Format: | Article |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | APL Photonics |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0247546 |
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| author | Rouyan Chen Florian Rothermel Robert Fitridge Christina A. Bursill Peter J. Psaltis Harald Giessen Alois Herkommer Robert A. McLaughlin Andrea Toulouse Jiawen Li |
| author_facet | Rouyan Chen Florian Rothermel Robert Fitridge Christina A. Bursill Peter J. Psaltis Harald Giessen Alois Herkommer Robert A. McLaughlin Andrea Toulouse Jiawen Li |
| author_sort | Rouyan Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, which are prone to rupture, can result in life-threatening events, such as strokes and heart attacks. These plaques are distinguished by features including a large necrotic core, macrophage infiltration, spotty calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, and a thin fibrous cap. While current intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of visualizing structural characteristics of plaques, such as the fibrous cap thickness, it has limitations in reliably identifying vulnerable plaques. Previous studies have demonstrated that intraplaque hemorrhage and oxidized lipids in the necrotic core and of vulnerable plaques generate autofluorescence when excited at 633 nm. Our team has designed and developed a 3D-printed micro-lens probe that utilizes a photoresist, IP-Visio, with low background fluorescence. This photoresist is ideal for autofluorescence detection of vulnerable plaques in the visible range, without the need for externally injected fluorophores. The micro-lens on the tip of a double clad fiber has two apertures that address the threefold purpose of our probe: OCT imaging, fluorescence excitation, and fluorescence collection by a combination of focal and afocal optical design. With this dual aperture design, we have achieved in capturing the weak autofluorescence signals and high-resolution OCT images from ex vivo human carotid plaques, using the IP-Visio micro-lens intravascular probe. We validated these imaging results with histology and a commercial benchtop fluorescence imaging system. This work paves the way for the wider application of 3D-printed micro-lenses for multimodal OCT and fluorescence imaging in the visible and near-infrared range, especially with intravascular or endoscopic devices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd413ab390e043feb686d2879d2470d4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2378-0967 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | APL Photonics |
| spelling | doaj-art-dd413ab390e043feb686d2879d2470d42025-08-20T01:48:13ZengAIP Publishing LLCAPL Photonics2378-09672025-04-01104040805040805-1010.1063/5.0247546Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaquesRouyan Chen0Florian Rothermel1Robert Fitridge2Christina A. Bursill3Peter J. Psaltis4Harald Giessen5Alois Herkommer6Robert A. McLaughlin7Andrea Toulouse8Jiawen Li9School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, AustraliaInstitute of Applied Optics (ITO), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyVascular and Endovascular Service, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaLifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaLifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaResearch Center SCoPE, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute of Applied Optics (ITO), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, AustraliaInstitute of Applied Optics (ITO), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanySchool of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, AustraliaVulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, which are prone to rupture, can result in life-threatening events, such as strokes and heart attacks. These plaques are distinguished by features including a large necrotic core, macrophage infiltration, spotty calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, and a thin fibrous cap. While current intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of visualizing structural characteristics of plaques, such as the fibrous cap thickness, it has limitations in reliably identifying vulnerable plaques. Previous studies have demonstrated that intraplaque hemorrhage and oxidized lipids in the necrotic core and of vulnerable plaques generate autofluorescence when excited at 633 nm. Our team has designed and developed a 3D-printed micro-lens probe that utilizes a photoresist, IP-Visio, with low background fluorescence. This photoresist is ideal for autofluorescence detection of vulnerable plaques in the visible range, without the need for externally injected fluorophores. The micro-lens on the tip of a double clad fiber has two apertures that address the threefold purpose of our probe: OCT imaging, fluorescence excitation, and fluorescence collection by a combination of focal and afocal optical design. With this dual aperture design, we have achieved in capturing the weak autofluorescence signals and high-resolution OCT images from ex vivo human carotid plaques, using the IP-Visio micro-lens intravascular probe. We validated these imaging results with histology and a commercial benchtop fluorescence imaging system. This work paves the way for the wider application of 3D-printed micro-lenses for multimodal OCT and fluorescence imaging in the visible and near-infrared range, especially with intravascular or endoscopic devices.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0247546 |
| spellingShingle | Rouyan Chen Florian Rothermel Robert Fitridge Christina A. Bursill Peter J. Psaltis Harald Giessen Alois Herkommer Robert A. McLaughlin Andrea Toulouse Jiawen Li Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques APL Photonics |
| title | Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| title_full | Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| title_fullStr | Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| title_short | Low background fluorescence 3D-printed micro-lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| title_sort | low background fluorescence 3d printed micro lens for imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0247546 |
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