Infraredx Inc announced the publication of data that shows the TVC Imaging System can detect lipid core plaque in patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). The study, published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, details the identification of a specific cholesterol signature by Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) at the site of the culprit lesions causing STEMI. While the TVC Imaging System has been used in more than 3,000 patients worldwide, the present study is the first report of its use in a consecutive series of STEMI patients.
In this study, researchers utilized the TVC imaging system to image the culprit vessel, as identified by angiography, in 20 STEMI patients referred acutely for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In 19 of the 20 patients, a distinct signature of lipid core plaque (LCP) was identified with NIRS specifically at the location of the culprit lesion. To confirm plaque composition, the researchers compared the NIRS imaging results from the sites causing the blockage and subsequent heart attack to results from non-culprit segments of the patients‚ vessels as well as to 46 autopsy specimens.
