Feasibility Study of Plaque Detection using Electrical Impedance Techniques

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death globally. There is emerging evidence that the morphology and composition of atherosclerotic plaques are a more reliable predictor of acute plaque events than the degree of coronary stenosis. The currently used plaque diagnostic methods - x-ray angiography, computed coronary tomography angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) - are not capable of delivering accurate risk prediction. Thus, the development of a novel and minimally invasive method of assessing plaques and their risk of causing acute events remains critical. One promising alternative is electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Previous studies focused on contact measurement of plaque structures. In this paper we investigate plaque detection and non-contact sensing ability with the plaque, aorta and blood phantom models. The results show the feasibility of using this modality as a plaque detection method in non-contact intravascular sensing and imaging.