KEYNOTE: Advancing Interventional Cardiology with Label-Free Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging

Effective management of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and prevention of acute coronary syndromes require a deep understanding of the pathobiological mechanisms driving atherosclerotic plaque progression and destabilization. Current intravascular modalities, while clinically valuable, fall short in capturing the full spectrum of biochemical and structural changes that underlie plaque rupture or erosion - key factors leading to acute coronary events. This presentation will introduce an innovative approach that integrates intracoronary, label-free Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) with established imaging techniques such as Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) or Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).

This multimodal strategy is implemented via a specialized catheter compatible with routine percutaneous coronary interventions, enabling interventional cardiologists to visualize both the morphological architecture and biochemical composition of arterial plaques in vivo. By providing high-resolution, near real-time (<1 minute) insight into plaque vulnerability, this combined imaging approach offers a powerful tool for advancing personalized CAD diagnosis and treatment.

About the presenter
Laura Marcu, Ph.D., is professor of biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at the University of California, Davis. She received her doctorate in biomedical engineering in 1998 from the University of Southern California.

Since 2007 she has served as co-director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center - Biomedical Technology Program, at the UC Davis Medical Center. Her research interest is in the area of biomedical optics, with a particular focus on research for the development of optical techniques for tissue diagnostics, including applications in surgical oncology, interventional cardiology, and tissue engineering. She has published a book as well as over 250 co-authored publications. Currently, she is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Biophotonics and the Translational Biophotonics, and Associate Editor for Optica. She is a Fellow of AAAS, AIMBE, BMES, OPTICA, SPIE, and NAI.