Prediction of plaque rupture and future cardiovascular events by means of photoacoustic imaging
Horizon 2020 ICT-29-2016
Stroke is an important source of mortality of men and women, often already in middle age. Vulnerable plaques in the carotid have the tendency to rupture, initiating cerebrovascular ischemic attacks. The decision for a surgical intervention to avoid plaque rupture poses a high risk, and is based on measuring the stenosis severity using ultrasound (US) imaging which has low accuracy.
To allow a better classification of patients into higher and lower risk groups, the CVENT consortium aims at developing a compact photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system for improved vulnerable carotid plaque diagnosis. The objective is the development of a portable multi-modality and multi-wavelength PAI system with an imaging depth range of 3 cm. The combination of large differences in optical absorption and the high resolution of US will be used to identify plaque vulnerability markers such as intra-plaque haemorrhage. Improved diagnosis of carotid plaques vulnerability will lead to a significant reduction in CVD related disability and mortality, a reduction in overtreatment and better allocation of healthcare cost.
To achieve this goal, CVENT brings together leading research groups and industrial partners with their unique expertise in R&D:
ESAOTE Europe BV, NL (coordinator)
Eindhoven University of Technology TU/e, NL
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, DE
Université Paris Descartes (HEGP), FR
QUANTEL, FR
University of Twente, NL
University of Berne, CH
Brightloop, FR
SILIOS, FR
TP21, DE
