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Abstract

A method for distinguishing between calcified atherosclerotic tissue and either fibrous atherosclerotic tissue or normal cardiovascular tissue. The present method is based on the discovery that, when irradiated with a beam of monochromatic infrared light, calcified atherosclerotic human aortic tissue produces a Fourier Transform Raman spectrum which is distinguishable from analagous spectra obtained from fibrous atherosclerotic human aortic tissue and normal human aortic tissue. Some salient differences in the respective Raman spectra are the presence of five Raman bands at Raman shifts of 957, 1071, 1262-1300, 1445, and 1659 cm.sup.-1 (.+-.4 cm.sup.-1 for all shifts) for the calcified tissue as compared to three Raman bands at Raman shifts of 1247-1270, 1453 and 1659 cm.sup.-1 (.+-.4 cm.sup.-1 for all shifts) for the fibrous tissue and three Raman bands at Raman shifts of 1247-1270, 1449 and 1651 cm.sup.-1 (.+-.4 cm.sup.-1 for all shifts) for the normal tissue. In addition, it was discovered that the ratios of intensities for the Raman bands at 1659 and 1453 cm.sup.-1 and at 1254 and 1453 cm.sup.-1 were 0.69 and 0.53, respectively, for the calcified tissue, 1.02 and 0.85, respectively, for the fibrous tissue and 1.2 and 0.83, respectively, for the normal tissue.

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