In what may lead to the development of new treatments for heart diseases, researchers have created a novel artificial intelligence (AI) technique that can detect plaque erosion in heart arteries. The technique uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) images to monitor arterial plaque. The finding is crucial as the disintegration of the plaque can serve as a prelude to a heart attack or other severe heart diseases. The OCT, which is an optical imaging technique, can be used within blood vessels to produce 3D pictures of the coronary arteries that carry blood to the heart muscles. The OCT technique has been in use for spotting plaque erosion.

This is not the first time OCT has been used to detect plaque erosion. It has been used before, but this is the first time AI is being used, so the results are likely to be accurate. Zhao Wang, who led the research, is working at the University of Electronic Science and Technology in China. The new AI technology has two primary phases, where the first AI model, ie neural network, analyzes the original image and plaque erosion. According to the researchers, the new AI technology provides 80 percent accurate information on plaque decay and 73 percent on valve damage.

With a 73 percent positive predictive value, the AI technique accurately identified 80 percent of the instances of plaque erosion. Researchers have created a brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) technique that uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) images to automatically detect plaque erosion in the arteries of the heart. Monitoring arterial plaque is crucial because, if it disintegrates, it may obstruct blood flow to the heart, triggering a heart attack or other dangerous problems. "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," said research team leader Zhao Wang from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. "Our new method could help improve the clinical diagnosis of plaque erosion and be used to develop new treatments for patients with heart disease."

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.