Flexible Balloon-Inflatable Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy To Assess Endoluminal Lipid-Rich Lesions

Summary

UCLA researchers have developed a novel flexible balloon-inflatable electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to facilitate the diagnosis of metabolically active atherosclerotic lesions.

Background

Identifying metabolically active atherosclerotic lesions remains an unmet clinical challenge during coronary intervention. Detection of atherosclerotic lesions prone to rupture is of utmost importance in the management of patients with myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerotic plaques usually contain high levels of inflammatory activity, due to oxidized lipids and foam cells. Predicting metabolically active atherosclerotic lesions has remained an unmet clinical need. A solution to this need is the use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for detecting frequency-dependent changes in tissue impedance.

Innovation

UCLA researchers have developed a novel electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensor for the detection of atherosclerotic lesions. This sensor is flexible, stretchable, biocompatible (parylene-based) in design, and can be used with standard cardiovascular balloon catheters used in the clinic. It can provide real-time identification of atherosclerotic lesions in situ and detect oxLDL-rich regions by distinguished patterns of readout impedance magnitudes.

Applications

• Diagnostic tool for atherosclerosis: to detect metabolically active atherosclerotic lesions 
• Management of patients suffered from cardiovascular diseases 
• Intravascular detection of atherosclerotic plaques in the cardiovascular system

Advantages

• Flexible and stretchable 
• Biocompatible (Parylene-based) 
• Deployable with standard cardiovascular balloon catheters used in common clinical practice 
• Provides real-time identification

State Of Development

The method has been demonstrated ex vivo and in vivo.

Related Materials

• Yu, Fei, et al. "Elevated electrochemical impedance in the endoluminal regions with high shear stress: Implication for assessing lipid-rich atherosclerotic lesions." Biosensors and Bioelectronics 43 (2013): 237-244.

Patent Status