Objective: To report the safety and feasibility of a new occluding thermographic catheter in patients with coronary artery disease.
Background: Although plaque temperature heterogeneity is shown in atheromatous plaques, significant underestimation is encountered due to the cooling effect of the uninterrupted blood flow.
Methods: The catheter was positioned at the stenotic site. Blood flow was interrupted by an expandable braid located at the distal portion of the catheter. Then, thermographic assessment was performed.
Results: In one patient, the catheter could not reach the lesion due to tortuosity. Of the 20 lesions evaluated, 5 were excluded due to unsuccessful interruption of blood flow. We identified 5 lesions with a 0.3 degrees Celcius elevations compared to the same site without interruption of blood flow. There were no procedural complications.
Conclusion: The new catheter-occluding thermographic device, while avoiding the blood flow cooling effect, appears to be safe and feasible for the assessment of human plaque temperature heterogeneity.