ABSTRACT
Atherosclerosis is a common arterial disease characterized by subendothelial areas of cellular infiltration and degeneration in regions of lipid and cholesterol deposits. Atherosclerosis is a panvascular disease affecting multiple vessels at numerous sites. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the feasibility of identifying experimental atheroma with each of radionuclide approaches using external imaging. However, the animal studies were usually performed in hyper-lipidemic animals, with relatively extensive lesions. Most intravascular detector concepts incorporate a plastic scintillator coupled to an optical fiber. An alternative to plastic scintillators is a gas-filled detector, such as an ionization chamber or Geiger-Müller counter. Semiconductor detectors work in a similar fashion to gas-filled ionization chambers. This improves the stopping power since semiconductors are orders of magnitude denser than gas. Radiation sensitive catheters have been tested in animal models of atheroma. These devices can provide key information about the location and metabolic status of the plaque.
