ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation : The Task Force for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

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2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation: Task Force for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients Presenting without Persistent ST-Segment Elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

2018 ESC/EACTS Guidelines on myocardial revascularization.

Authors/Task Force Members: Franz-Josef Neumann* (ESC Chairperson) (Germany), Miguel Sousa-Uva* (EACTS Chairperson) (Portugal), Anders Ahlsson (Sweden), Fernando Alfonso (Spain), Adrian P. Banning (UK), Umberto Benedetto (UK), Robert A. Byrne (Germany), Jean-Philippe Collet (France), Volkmar Falk (Germany), Stuart J. Head (The Netherlands), Peter Jüni (Canada), Adnan Kastrati (Germany), Akos Koller (Hungary), Steen D. Kristensen (Denmark), Josef Niebauer (Austria), Dimitrios J. Richter (Greece), Petar M. Seferovi c (Serbia), Dirk Sibbing (Germany), Giulio G. Stefanini (Italy), Stephan Windecker (Switzerland), Rashmi Yadav (UK), Michael O. Zembala (Poland) Document Reviewers: William Wijns (ESC Review Co-ordinator) (Ireland), David Glineur (EACTS Review Co-ordinator) (Canada), Victor Aboyans (France), Stephan Achenbach (Germany), Stefan Agewall (Norway), Felicita Andreotti (Italy), Emanuele Barbato (Italy), Andreas Baumbach (UK), James Brophy (Canada), Héctor Bueno (Spain), Patrick A. Calvert (UK), Davide Capodanno (Italy), Piroze M. Davierwala

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2014 ESC/EACTS Guidelines on myocardial revascularization: The Task Force on Myocardial Revascularization of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)Developed with the special contribution of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI).

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease results in >19 million deaths annually, and coronary heart disease accounts for the majority of this toll. Despite major advances in treatment of coronary heart disease patients, a large number of victims of the disease who are apparently healthy die suddenly without prior symptoms. Available screening and diagnostic methods are insufficient to identify the victims before the event occurs. The recognition of the role of the vulnerable plaque has opened new avenues of opportunity in the field of cardiovascular medicine. This consensus document concludes the following. (1) Rupture-prone plaques are not the only vulnerable plaques. All types of atherosclerotic plaques with high likelihood of thrombotic complications and rapid progression should be considered as vulnerable plaques. We propose a classification for clinical as well as pathological evaluation of vulnerable plaques. (2) Vulnerable plaques are not the only culprit factors for the development of acute coronary syndromes, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. Vulnerable blood (prone to thrombosis) and vulnerable myocardium (prone to fatal arrhythmia) play an important role in the outcome. Therefore, the term "vulnerable patient" may be more appropriate and is proposed now for the identification of subjects with high likelihood of developing cardiac events in the near future. (3) A quantitative method for cumulative risk assessment of vulnerable patients needs to be developed that may include variables based on plaque, blood, and myocardial vulnerability. In Part I of this consensus document, we cover the new definition of vulnerable plaque and its relationship with vulnerable patients. Part II of this consensus document focuses on vulnerable blood and vulnerable myocardium and provide an outline of overall risk assessment of vulnerable patients. Parts I and II are meant to provide a general consensus and overviews the new field of vulnerable patient. Recently developed assays (eg, C-reactive protein), imaging techniques (eg, CT and MRI), noninvasive electrophysiological tests (for vulnerable myocardium), and emerging catheters (to localize and characterize vulnerable plaque) in combination with future genomic and proteomic techniques will guide us in the search for vulnerable patients. It will also lead to the development and deployment of new therapies and ultimately to reduce the incidence of acute coronary syndromes and sudden cardiac death. We encourage healthcare policy makers to promote translational research for screening and treatment of vulnerable patients.

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From vulnerable plaque to vulnerable patient: a call for new definitions and risk assessment strategies: Part II.

Gold nanoparticles have been used in biomedical applications since their first colloidal syntheses more than three centuries ago. However, over the past two decades, their beautiful colors and unique electronic properties have also attracted tremendous attention due to their historical applications in art and ancient medicine and current applications in enhanced optoelectronics and photovoltaics. In spite of their modest alchemical beginnings, gold nanoparticles exhibit physical properties that are truly different from both small molecules and bulk materials, as well as from other nanoscale particles. Their unique combination of properties is just beginning to be fully realized in range of medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This critical review will provide insights into the design, synthesis, functionalization, and applications of these artificial molecules in biomedicine and discuss their tailored interactions with biological systems to achieve improved patient health. Further, we provide a survey of the rapidly expanding body of literature on this topic and argue that gold nanotechnology-enabled biomedicine is not simply an act of ‘gilding the (nanomedicinal) lily’, but that a new ‘Golden Age’ of biomedical nanotechnology is truly upon us. Moving forward, the most challenging nanoscience ahead of us will be to find new chemical and physical methods of functionalizing gold nanoparticles with compounds that can promote efficient binding, clearance, and biocompatibility and to assess their safety to other biological systems and their long-term term effects on human health and reproduction (472 references).

The golden age: gold nanoparticles for biomedicine

An apparatus for filtering an electromagnetic radiation, comprises at least one spectral separating arrangement (4, 16; 4') configured to angularly separate one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus further comprises at least one angularly deflecting optical arrangement (24) that includes a pivot point, and configured to receive the one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation to generate at least one signal associated with the one or more components. The apparatus further comprises at least one optical imaging arrangement (20, 22) configured to receive the one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation, and generate an image of one or more dispersive elements in communication with the one or more components. The apparatus further comprises at least one beam selecting arrangement (10) adapted to receive the at least one signal, and selectively generate at least one selected signal. A position of the pivot point is provided in a proximity of a real image of at least one of the dispersive elements.

Process and apparatus for a wavelength tuned light source

Summary In vivo imaging technologies drive the development of improved cancer therapies by revealing critical aspects of the complex pathophysiology of solid tumors in small animal models[1]. The abnormal vascular function, which predicts tumor malignant potential and presents broad barriers to effective treatment, has been studied at the subcellular size scale using multiphoton (MP) microscopy [2], and at significantly larger size scales using ultrasound, µCT and µMRI[3–5]. However, limited in vivo imaging approaches exist to study the vascular function at the network level, i.e., with sufficient resolution to discern smaller vessels while maintaining a field of view and penetration depth large enough to reveal interconnectivity and inhomogeneities across the tumor and surrounding tissue. One promising technology operating at this size scale is optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) using Doppler-methods to detect blood flow.

In vivo imaging of microvasculature using optical coherence tomography

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe catheter device and a method where optical synthesis with different angles can be achieved by changing an optical path length, in order to reduce speckle, which is a factor lowering image quality in optical coherence tomography (OCT), and by averaging images obtained at different incident angles, with each image encoded by path length, ACPE maintains high-speed image acquisition and implements minimal modifications to OCT probe optics, and ACPE images obtained from tissue phantoms and human skin demonstrate a qualitative improvement over traditional OCT and an increased SN ratio.SOLUTION: The probe catheter apparatus and method are provided for irradiating a sample. In particular, an imaging apparatus 5 radiates an electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, a sample part receives the electromagnetic radiation and includes device 20 that facilitates a generation of at least two radiations 30, 40 from the electromagnetic radiation so as to irradiate the sample. The device is configured to delay a first radiation of the at least two radiations with respect to a second radiation of the at least two radiations.

Speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography by optical synthesis with different angles where optical path length is changed

We describe laser speckle analysis for atherosclerotic plaque characterization and fibrous cap thickness estimation. Speckle analysis had a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, even in the presence of physiological motion.

Identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque by analysis of time-varying laser speckle patterns

We present a practical laser speckle imaging device for skin cancer detection based on a 980 nm source and black silicon camera technology, with superior penetration depth and contrast. By operating at 980 nm we obtain deeper perfusion contrast and are immune to differences in skin pigmentation. The use of a black silicon camera ensures a high quantum efficiency without significantly increasing the cost and complexity of the device. We will show the effectiveness of the device in imaging different skin lesions and discuss the system specifications (wavelength, power, exposure time, frame rate, and processing algorithm) that led to the optimal contrast. 

Brett E. Bouma

Papers

Process and apparatus for a wavelength tuned light source

In vivo imaging of microvasculature using optical coherence tomography

Speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography by optical synthesis with different angles where optical path length is changed

Identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque by analysis of time-varying laser speckle patterns

Enhanced laser speckle perfusion imaging for skin cancer detection at 980 nm with a black silicon camera (Conference Presentation)