Abstract
We developed a nonlinear optical multimodal microscopy system for diagnostic tool of atherosclerosis. Nonlinear optical microscopy is based on the nonlinear optcal phenomena originated from optical properties of materials. It avoids the need for invasive dyes. In particular, coherent Raman scattering (CRS) techniques provide label-free detection due to the intrinsic vibrational signatures of the specific molecules. Therefore it offers a non-invasive imaging of lipid in atherosclerotic plaques. The second harmonic generation (SHG) is exclusively sensitive to noncentrosymmetric materials. Hence, it enables a label-free detection of collagen which is known to be unpredictably formed around the plaques. Therefore, CRS/SHG multimodal microscopy system is a potential tool for quantitative diagnosis of atherosclerosis.
In this study, we provided a histological assessment of abnormally produced collagen in aorta samples of mice, and our results indicated that the collagen had a correlation with the progression of lesion. Furthermore, we performed CRS/SHG imaging with the developed system.
