面向血管病变力学特性表征的光学相干弹性成像研究进展

Advances of optical coherence elastography for mechanical properties characterization of vascular diseases

由于血管病主要发病机制是动脉粥样硬化斑块破裂,所以动脉斑块的力学特性表征对血管病病理研究和诊治具有重要意义。光学相干断层扫描(OCT)作为心血管成像的新技术,能识别斑块的细微组织成分,但是不能评估或预测斑块的破裂风险。面向斑块力学特性表征的弹性成像技术(OCE)近年来逐渐成为了血管力学领域的一个研究热点。本综述首先介绍OCT干涉信号及与组织结构、变形、速度相关的数据处理的基本原理;然后总结对体外块状的血管斑块样本变形进行测试的散斑追踪和基于相位检测的OCE方法,以及面向临床应用的基于导管扫描的血管内OCE技术进展;最后,综述血管力学参数定量计算及应力分析方法。血管OCE的主要进展和现存关键问题的深入分析表明血管内OCE有望成为血管内OCT的新功能,为动脉斑块发生发展机理研究和心脑血管疾病诊治提供更有力的成像手段。

Since the main pathogenesis of vascular disease is attributed to the atherosclerotic plaque rupture,the mechanical properties of arterial plaque are of great significance to the pathological research and clinical treatment of vascular diseases.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)as a new imaging modality can differentiate the micro structures of plaques.However,the structural imaging alone is not enough on assessing the risk of plaque rupture.Optical coherence elastography(OCE)for charactering the biomechanical properties of plaques has become a hot research topic lately.This review introduces the basic principles of OCT,including the theories of data processing for structural imaging,deformation and velocity measurement.Then the vascular OCE techniques based on speckle tracking and phase detection to measure the deformation of vascular samples are reviewed.In addition,the technical progress of intravascular OCE based on catheter scanning is described.Finally,the methods for solving the parameters of constitutive models of the blood vessels are summarized.The in-depth analysis of the main progress and key problems of vascular OCE indicates that OCE has the potential to become a new function of intravascular OCT.Intravascular OCE may become a powerful tool for the studies of initiation and progression mechanisms of plaques,diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.