AI method automatically detects plaque erosion in the heart's arteries based on OCT images

Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) method that can automatically detect plaque erosion in the heart's arteries using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Monitoring plaque in the arteries is important because when plaque breaks apart it can block blood flow to the heart, leading to a heart attack or other serious conditions. If cholesterol plaque lining arteries starts to erode it can lead to a sudden reduction in blood flow to the heart known as acute coronary syndrome, which requires urgent treatment. Our new method could help improve the clinical diagnosis of plaque erosion and be used to develop new treatments for patients with heart disease." OCT is an optical imaging method with micron-scale resolution that, when integrated with a miniaturized catheter, can be used within blood vessels to provide 3D images of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.