Validation for the determination of strain and displacement fields in coronary arteries imaged by intravascular ultrasound

摘要

Coronary heart disease resulted in 476,124 deaths in 1996 and is currently the single leading cause of death in the United States. The American Heart Association estimates 7 million Americans will suffer myocardial infarctions (acute heart attack) this year. The phenomenon of plaque rupture is the primary event triggering myocardial infarctions and acute coronary syndromes. Plaque rupture is the structural failure of the plaque cap, which results in the exposure of the thrombogenic lipids to the blood stream and thrombus formation (MacIsaac et al. [2]). To understand the mechanisms responsible for plaque rupture, the mechanical behavior of the lesion under load needs to be quantified. The strain distribution through the plaque, specifically at the cap, may be particularly relevant to failure mechanism(s) of plaque rupture. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging allows for the study of plaque deformation both in vitro and in vivo. The method uses a catheter mounted ultrasound transducer to provide a cross-sectional image of the artery.