Patients undergoing angioplasty or other heart-related medical procedures could benefit from a new optical imaging technology that creates detailed images of coronary artery walls in vivo.

Under a two-year, $498,325 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II National Science Foundation grant, Wasatch Photonics Inc. will continue the development of its intravascular optical coherence tomography technique, which shows where lesions and plaques have formed. Physicians can use these images to determine the best course of action, and to resolve issues such as stent placement.

The technology will provide a new tool to identify and treat coronary artery disease, which “affects an estimated 16 million Americans and is a primary cause of heart attacks and strokes,” said William J. Brown, vice president of business development. “Identifying and treating plaque buildup and other intravascular conditions could reduce the morbidity and mortality rates from coronary artery disease.”

Wasatch Photonics, a 2013 Prism Awards finalist, manufactures Raman spectrometers, OCT systems and holographic optics for optical networking, spectroscopy, test and measurement, and medical imaging applications. (See: Photonics Prism Awards Finalists Offer Solutions for Pollution, Manufacturing, Brain Imaging, More) It has a division in the Research Triangle Park in Durham, N.C., and an office in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Ind.

For more information, visit: www.wasatchphotonics.com