According to one embodiment, an apparatus for detecting obstructions in biological vessels includes a cylindrical hollow stent with an expandable body portion having an outer surface configured to engage the inner surface of the lumen of the vessel to urge the vessel against collapse, and an imaging system operatively coupled with stent. The imaging system includes a first power source, a light generating element, a light sensor generating a first signal representative of light received by the sensor element from the light generating elements, and a processor unit receiving the first signal and processing the first signal in accordance with image processing logic stored in a memory of the processor unit to generate an image signal representative of as image of associated target material such as plaque obstructing the flow. The imaging system and stent may be formed on opposite sides of a flexible organic substrate.
