# IMRPI-A Novel Image Guided Tri-Modality Endoscope System to Reveal Molecular Pathology of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques by Harnessing Light and Sound

> **NIH NIH R56** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $557,597

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Inflamed thin-cap fibroatheromata (TCFA), unstable lesions in 60-70% of coronary artery disease (CAD), are
prone to rupture and result in substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thus, early clinical diagnosis and
effective risk stratification of these lesions has the potential to improve management of CAD and prevent its
progression to catastrophic events such as heart attack and stroke. However, the small size and complex
morphological/biological features of TCFA make early detection and risk assessment difficult. These
challenges have spurred a five-year research plan to develop a superior catheter-based tri-modal
“Intravascular Microscopic Radioluminescence Photoacoustic Imaging (IMRPI)” system to detect and outline
coronary TCFA with quantitative information of plaque compositions including intraplaque hemorrhage (a
stroke marker). The new tool will also be able to provide morphological and histopathological information at
sub-cellular resolution in real-time. This project will be built on Dr. Zaman’s background as an Electrical and
Biomedical Engineer with expertise in development of novel imaging systems. Furthermore, the feasibility of
this proposed study is based on Dr. Zaman’s published data funded by NIH-K99/R00 award, where she built a
novel Circumferential Intravascular Radioluminescence Photoacoustic Imaging (CIRPI) system to successfully
detect and characterize TCFA in ex vivo murine/human carotid and in vivo rabbit abdominal aortic arteries. In
this proposal, the IMRPI system will be developed by reengineering the CIRPI system to be miniaturized with
micro-optical components so that a dual-axis confocal microscope (DACM) can be implemented in the
endoscopic probe. Dr. Zaman has assembled exceptional collaborators/consultants/other significant
contributors who are leading experts in photoacoustic tomographic imaging/image reconstruction, ultrasound
transducer design/manufacturing, dual-axis-confocal microscope endoscopy and micro-optical design/system
development, MEMS design/fabrication, interventional cardiology, pathology, and cardiovascular imaging. The
Specific Aims focus on the design/development of the IMRPI system followed by testing in (1) ex vivo human
carotid and coronary plaques from carotid endarterectomy and postmortem autopsy specimen, (2) in vivo pig
coronary atherosclerotic models, and (3) discarded fresh human hearts. These results will be further validated
with clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and computed tomography
(CT), followed by autoradiography and histochemical analysis. Collectively, the proposed research will
elucidate an advanced endoscope design to detect, outline, and characterize vulnerable plaques in coronary
arteries by revealing sub-cellular aspects of plaque morphology and histopathology, and will therefore,
constitute a valuable indispensable ally in this challenging quest to aid in early detection and risk assessment
to...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241777
- **Project number:** 1R56HL153507-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Raiyan Tripti Zaman
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $557,597
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-17 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241777

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241777, IMRPI-A Novel Image Guided Tri-Modality Endoscope System to Reveal Molecular Pathology of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques by Harnessing Light and Sound (1R56HL153507-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241777. Licensed CC0.

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