A lesion detection system for use with a patient, comprising an optoacoustic guide wire assembly configured to be insertable into a patients tissue. The optical acoustic guide wire assembly can be comprised of an optical waveguide have a first end and a second end, a light source coupled to the second end of the optical waveguide, wherein said light source configured to emit energy to the patients tissue, at least one transducer configured to detect an ultrasound signal emitted from the patients tissue in response to energy emitted from the light source, and a computer system.
