Methods for investigation of neointima post stent in coronary arteries using images of intravascular coherent optical tomography (IOCT)

• Grant number: 14/10527-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal researcher: Matheus Cardoso Moraes
• Grantee: Isabela Monteiro de Andrade
• Home Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is one of the most alarming cardiovascular diseases nowadays, in 2010 it was the cause of 1 in every 6 deaths in the United States. It is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipidic, fibrous or calcified substances in the coronary artery wall. The narrowing caused in the blood channel by the disease is treated in most cases with stent implantation. However, after stent implantation, it has been verified the formation of scar tissue, the neointima, causing a new luminal narrowing and restenosis. Intravascular imaging technologies as Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) and Intravascular Optical Coherent tomography (IOCT) have been employed in the diagnosis and monitoring the progression of neointima. Nevertheless, additional tools and techniques to support theses modalities to obtain objective information such as diameter, size, area and volume of the lumen and neointima are required. Progress in this respect will allow detailed monitoring of the treatment in order to obtain conclusive proof of its effectiveness and so improve the indication of drugs and quality of stents. Therefore, the goal of this project is to investigate and to implement methods such as 2 dimensional segmentation and alignment, and 3 dimensional reconstruction for the post stent neointima quantification and analysis. Finally, apart from the area, it will be possible to obtain the volume of the neoíntima.