The burden of atherosclerosis has triggered intense interest in the study of “vulnerable” plaques at high risk of rupture. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has recently contributed to the in-vivo visualisation of plaque, providing unique insights into the atherosclerotic process, previously only attainable through postmortem examination. This technique uses near infrared light and an optical imaging wire attached to a patient interface unit with a pullback speed of up to 3.0 mm/s.