Intravascular imaging device and uses thereof

1. A method for intravascular imaging, the method comprising:

(a) targeting a tissue area to be imaged with a medium of a contrasting agent including a chromophore, the contrasting agent including a chromophore having a molecular weight of less than 2 KD;

(b) placing adjacent the tissue area an imaging device having a probe portion, a mechanism for directed emission, to surrounding tissue, light within a spectrum of wavelengths capable of exciting the contrasting agent, and a detector assembly on the probe portion for detecting light scattered and reflected from the contrasting agent in the surrounding tissue;

(c) activating the device for directed emission of light to the surrounding tissue; advancing the device along the surrounding tissue;

(d) detecting light scattered and reflected from the contrasting agent in the surrounding tissue; and

generating, in real time, an image of the surrounding tissue from the detected light for display.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of targeting, the medium of a contrasting agent includes pharmacophores capable of labeling a blood component including hemoglobin, red blood cells, and platelets.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the contrasting agent includes one of chromophore-anhydride, chromophore-acylchloride chromophore-activated esters, chromophore-isothiocyanate, chromophore-melamide, albumin-chromophore isothiocyanate, polylysine-chromophore isothiocyanate, palloidin-fluorescein isothiocyanate, and lectin-flourescein isothiocynate.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of targeting, the medium of a contrasting agent includes free molecular pharmacophores having affinity to a specific tissue through one of physical, chemical, or structural properties.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the contrasting agent includes one of lipophilic cationic dyes, mag-indo-1N,N′-bis(salicylidene), ethylenediamine, potassium-binding benzofuran isophthalate-AM, 6-methoxy-1-(3-sulfopropyl) quinolinium monohydrate, 9,9′-bis(N-methylacridinium nitrate), tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolin) ruthenium(II) dichloride complex, quinones, rhodamine-based, porphyrin-based, dequelinium, S13, tetraphenyl phosphonium-based, and amino acid color reaction reagent (DNP).

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of targeting, the medium of a contrasting agent includes pharmacophores attached to one of metabolites, receptor ligands, and specific abnormal cell penetration vectors.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the contrasting agent includes one of metabolite-chromophore, hormone-chromophore, apoptotic agent-chromophore, blood flow agent-chromophore, storage agent-chromophore, prostate binder-chromophore, and acetylcholine-chromophore.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of targeting, the medium of a contrasting agent includes pharmacophores with a short tatter to specific molecules having enhanced function in tissue of interest.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the contrasting agent includes one of biotin(vector)-agent-chromophore, biotin-chromophore, adenosine-chromophore, ap4-analog-chromophore, and acetylcholine receptor agonist/antagonist.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein in the step of targeting, the medium of a contrasting agent includes one of an MRI contrast medium that concentrates in plaque vascular components, a CT contrasting agent that target plaques, and a fluorescence and chemoluminescence agent.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting includes analyzing intensity, based on photon counts, of the detected light scattered and reflected from the contrasting agent for identification of a diseased area and location of diseased tissue.