The world’s smallest 3D-printed imaging catheter – the size of human hair – is proving it could become a lifesaving tool to identify people at high risk of a heart attack.
Dr Jiawen Li and her team from the University of Adelaide have been working hard at developing the catheter (or micro-endoscope), to enable highquality imaging of narrow arteries which delivers immediate results.
“The catheter has been developed to detect cholesterol crystals and macrophages (a type of white blood cell) which accumulate in the fatty plaques that form in heart arteries, making them more inflamed and likely to cause blockages that lead to heart attacks,” Dr Li said.
“To identify which plaques are high-risk and need further treatment and decrease the risk of a heart attack occurring, cardiologists urgently need new imaging tools that shows a clear image of the plaques’ structure and composition.
“As the first team in the world to utilise 3D-printing to make freeform micro-endoscopes, comparable in size to a couple of human hairs, we have overcome the limitations and revolutionised this area.
“To image plaque in the heart, our 3D-printed micro-endoscopes can be inserted to a transparent catheter and then be guided into the coronary artery region under X-ray guidance.
“Once the 3D-printed micro-endoscope is in place, images of the artery can be obtained in less than four seconds as clinically available devices but with approximately three-times higher resolution, to accurately detect high-risk plaque features.”
The future is looking exciting for Dr Li, who is progressing to the first human trials of this technology thanks to further support from AHR and The Hospital Research Foundation Group.
This device could improve the health outcomes of 20 million heart disease patients worldwide! It holds great promise in helping cardiologists determine the most effective treatment plans for those at risk of heart attacks.
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