Flexural pulse wave detection in coronary arteries using X-ray

Dynamic elastography uses an imaging system to visualize the propagation of elastic waves, the speed of which is directly related to the elasticity felt by palpation. Very few studies have focused on X-ray elastography because of the technical challenges it poses: a planar image of an integration volume at a very slow sampling rate. We demonstrate that tracking a slow elastic wave guided along a one-dimensional structure is the solution. The recently discovered flexural pulse wave (Laloy-Borgna, et al., 2023), which is naturally generated by heartbeats and propagates along arteries, is the perfect candidate for X-ray elastography. As it reflects the cardiovascular health of patients, arterial elasticity is a biomarker of high clinical interest.