Abstract
The mechanical properties of arterial walls are critical for maintaining vascular function under pulsatile pressure and are closely linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Despite advances in imaging and elastography, comprehensive characterization of the complex mechanical behavior of arterial tissues remains challenging. Here, we present a broadband guided-wave optical coherence elastography (OCE) technique, grounded in viscoelasto-acoustic theory, for quantifying the nonlinear viscoelastic, anisotropic, and layer-specific properties of arterial walls with high spatial and temporal resolution. Our results reveal a strong stretch dependence of arterial viscoelasticity, with increasing prestress leading to a reduction in tissue viscosity. Under mechanical loading, the adventitia becomes significantly stiffer than the media, attributable to engagement of collagen fibers. Chemical degradation of collagen fibers highlighted their role in nonlinear viscoelasticity. This study demonstrates the potential of OCE as a powerful tool for detailed profiling of vascular biomechanics, with applications in basic research and future clinical diagnosis.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the authors on request.
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The custom code for the viscoelastic wave dispersion models is available from the authors on request.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health via grants R01-HL098028, R01-EY027653, and R01-EY033356.
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Conceptualization: Y.Z. and S.-H.Y. Methodology: Y.J., G.-Y.L., R.W, and S.-H.Y. Investigation: Y.J., G.-Y.L., R.W., X.F. and S.-H.Y. Visualization: Y.J., G.-Y.L., and S.-H.Y. Funding acquisition: Y.Z. and S.-H.Y. Project administration: Y.Z. and S.-H.Y. Supervision: Y.Z. and S.-H.Y. Writing—original draft: Y.J., G.-Y.L., R.W., X.F., Y.Z. and S.-H.Y. Writing—review & editing: Y.J., Y.Z. and S.-H.Y.
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Communications Physics thanks Runze Li, Fengyi Zhang, Vladimir Y. Zaitsev and Manmohan Singh for their contribution to the peer review of this work. [A peer review file is available].
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Jiang, Y., Li, GY., Wang, R. et al. Comprehensive characterization of nonlinear viscoelastic properties of arterial tissues using guided-wave optical coherence elastography. Commun Phys (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-026-02502-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-026-02502-0
