Lasers are an effective tool that physicians can use to tackle plaque buildup on arterial walls, but current approaches carry the risk of complications and limit effectiveness. By bringing ultrasound into the mix, scientists at the University of Kansas have demonstrated a new take on this treatment with greater safety and efficiency.
This novel technique uses ultrasounds to create bubble action inside the artery, destroying plaque and improving blood flow. It’s an improvement of a traditional stent-based treatment called laser angioplasty. In this technique, lasers are inserted into the artery with a catheter to destroy blockages and improve blood flow. With high-power lasers, there is potential for damage to the artery walls which is why researchers are looking for safer methods of getting rid of a plaque rather than just removing it.
The method uses a low-power nanosecond pulsed laser to generate microbubbles and applying ultrasound to the artery then causes these microbubbles to expand, collapse, and disrupt the plaque.
“The technology removes atherosclerotic plaque while using a low-power laser that requires only 20% laser energy,” said team member Rohit Singh. “Our medicine causes the area to become inoperable, leaving the vessel open and healthy. Its improved efficiency results in a smaller number of patient recurrences.”
Singh and his colleagues have been using lasers and ultrasound to shorten treatment times or minimize the side effects of treatments in other fields. We’ve also seen other uses of ultrasound, ranging from finding tiny bubbles within a tumour to destroying cancer cells.
Because it destroys plaque rather than compressing it, laser ablation should provide a lower risk for re-narrowing of a coronary artery after the procedure, the scientists explain. They are now planning in vivo experiments to further develop their technique and one day use it in clinical settings.
The research is being presented during this week’s 182nd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Denver.