An illustration showing a cross-section view of human internal organs. Image source: American Heart Association
Researchers from Imperial College London and University College London have collaborated to produce sub-millimeter resolution images of the heart's microvasculature. Using this technology, scientists have conducted tests on human patients to assess heart conditions and undiagnosed chest pain. The research findings were published on the 6th in the journal "Nature Biomedical Engineering."
Current imaging techniques can visualize the major blood vessels on the heart's surface. Due to the small size of microvessels and the heart's rapid movement, imaging them poses a challenge, especially at resolutions below 1 millimeter.
The new technology, by imaging the microvessels within the myocardium, aids in evaluating heart conditions. Clinicians can use this technology to visualize abnormal structures in microvessels of patients with coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy, making diagnosis and treatment easier.
Scientists tested this technology on four patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. They utilized ultrasound and microbubbles (small inflatable bubbles used in medical imaging to differentiate internal structures) for super-resolution imaging to reveal the patients' heart microvessel structures.
The researchers noted that imaging these microvessels at such high resolution has never been done before in humans. This opens up more opportunities for studying cardiac physiology and observing various diseases non-invasively and safely.
Co-author of the paper and cardiac expert at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, Dr. Roxey, mentioned that currently, assessing heart microvessels can only be done indirectly, potentially leading to delays in diagnosis. This technology enables direct visualization of these vessels, paving the way for new prospects in treating heart diseases.
