Aug. 20. 2025 – Principal investigator: Zhongping Chen, professor of biomedical engineering

Award: $2.5 million over four years

Funding agency:  NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Project: Development of integrated OCT/US/PAT system for intravascular Imaging

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart-related issue, affecting over 18 million adults and resulting in more than 350,000 deaths annually in recent years. This project aims to develop an advanced intravascular imaging system that combines the high spatial resolution of optical coherence tomography, the broad imaging depth of ultrasound and the high molecular sensitivity of photoacoustic tomography. This system will assist doctors in detecting high-risk areas, customizing treatments and monitoring the progression of the disease and therapeutic effectiveness. It will serve as a powerful clinical tool, offering a quantitative means to benchmark and evaluate new medical devices and therapies.

The project involves collaboration of four team members from two institutions: Zhongping Chen, Pranav Patel and Howard Lee from UCI, and Qifa Zhou from USC.

More information: https://reporter.nih.gov/search/4x5c-1ZUmUupN7ZEzJKKnA/project-details/11234720

Click here to read the announcement on the UC Irvine Samueli School of Engineering website.

Author: Gabrielle Comfort