InfraReDx, Inc., a medical device company developing intelligent cardiovascular diagnostic imaging technologies, announced the publication of a case report in Circulation describing the association of stent thrombosis with lipid core plaque as detected by its LipiScan™ Coronary Imaging System. The LipiScan is the first and only FDA-approved system to provide a Chemogram™ (map of lipid core plaque) within the imaged vessel via near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The authors note that the case represents the first demonstration of acute stent thrombosis associated with disrupted lipid core plaque (LCP) as detected by NIR imaging with the LipiScan system.

The paper titled "Residual Thrombogenic Substrate After Rupture of a Lipid Rich Plaque Possible Mechanism of Acute Stent Thrombosis? A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study" was published in Circulation (2010;122:2349-2350) under authors Sakhuja R., Suh W., Jaffer F. and Jang I.

"While stenting is an excellent means to treat flow restrictions caused by coronary plaques, it is in some cases complicated by thrombosis which may cause serious consequences," said James E. Muller, M.D., founder and chief executive officer of InfraReDx. "This report by Sakhuja et al. describes the occurrence of thrombosis in a stent that ends in a lipid core plaque, a structure that contains substances known to be thrombogenic. This adds to the accumulating evidence that many complications of stenting peri-stenting infarction, stent thrombosis and restenosis are due not to features of the stent or stenting technique, but to the presence of a lipid core plaque at the stented site. We are pleased to make available the LipiScan IVUS Coronary Imaging System, which provides an easy and accurate method to detect lipid core plaque and thereby adds important information to the decision-making process."

Since this LipiScan examination was performed, InfraReDx has received FDA clearance (see September 1, 2010 news release) for its next-generation LipiScan IVUS Coronary Imaging System, which now combines both NIR (LipiScan) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technologies. The IVUS feature provides an image of the plaque and coronary artery lumen, while the NIR feature provides rapid and accurate assessment of LCPs. Upon completion of a single catheter pullback, the LipiScan IVUS system is able to immediately generate and display a grayscale IVUS image of the coronary artery, along with a complete and co-registered Chemogram within the imaged vessel.

Source: InfraReDx, Inc