ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of time-resolved fluorescence of arterial wall endogenous fluorescence; time-resolved fluorescence of normal and diseased arterial walls; and correlation between the fluorescent signature of the fluorescent constituents of arterial wall and the time-resolved emission of the arterial walls. It describes theoretical and applied concepts to characterization of atherosclerotic lesions based on a time-resolved time domain method. Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TR-LIFS) offers the prospect of in situ and instantaneous diagnosis of atherosclerotic lesions. TR-LIFS using a time-domain technique and ultraviolet light excitation can be applied for identification and staging atherosclerotic lesions and demonstrates potential for diagnosis of unstable lesions. Atherosclerosis is a lifelong progressive disease of the arteries that produces cellular and metabolic changes in the arterial wall. The chapter describes elements of the pathology, the role in clinical applications. Depending on the anatomical location of atherosclerotic plaque, the clinical consequences include myocardial infarction, stroke, limb ischemia, and aortic aneurysms.
