Highly sensitive and specific noninvasive in-vivo alcohol detection using wavelength-modulated differential photothermal radiometry

This paper reports the application of wavelength modulated differential photothermal radiometry (WM-DPTR) to blood alcohol (ethanol) concentration (BAC) measurements in the mid-infrared range to prevent impaired driving. In-vivo alcohol consumption measurements performed in the BAC range of interest (0-80 mg/dl) with an optimal wavelength pair demonstrated the alcohol detection capability of WM-DPTR with high resolution (~5 mg/dl) and a low detection limit (~10 mg/dl). Oral glucose tolerance tests using both glucose and alcohol sensitive wavelength pairs in the normal-to-hyperglycemia range (~80-320 mg/dl) proved the blood glucose screening ability and ethanol detection specificity of WM-DPTR. The immunity of WM-DPTR to temperature and glucose variation makes the differential signals alcohol sensitive and specific, yielding precise and accurate noninvasive alcohol measurements in the interstitial fluid.

Ultrasound-assisted photothermal therapy and real-time treatment monitoring

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has the capability for selective treatment, in which light delivered to the target is converted into heat and subsequently causes coagulative necrosis. However, optical scattering in biological media limits light penetration, thus reducing therapeutic efficacy. Here, we demonstrate that the temperatures generated by light and ultrasound energies can be added constructively in resected melanoma cancers, which causes an increase in treatment depth. This method is called dual thermal therapy (DTT). It is also shown that combined ultrasound and photoacoustic images acquired using the pulse sequence proposed in this paper can be used for real-time monitoring of DTT.

Comparative study on the detection of early dental caries using thermo-photonic lock-in imaging and optical coherence tomography

Early detection of dental caries is known to be the key to the effectiveness of therapeutic and preventive approaches in dentistry. However, existing clinical detection techniques, such as radiographs, are not sufficiently sensitive to detect and monitor the progression of caries at early stages. As such, in recent years, several optics-based imaging modalities have been proposed for the early detection of caries. The majority of these techniques rely on the enhancement of light scattering in early carious lesions, while a few of them are based on the enhancement of light absorption at early caries sites. In this paper, we report on a systemic comparative study on the detection performances of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and thermophotonic lock-in imaging (TPLI) as representative early caries detection modalities based on light scattering and absorption, respectively. Through controlled demineralization studies on extracted human teeth and µCT validation experiments, several detection performance parameters of the two modalities such as detection threshold, sensitivity and specificity have been qualitatively analyzed and discussed. Our experiment results suggests that both modalities have sufficient sensitivity for the detection of well-developed early caries on occlusal and smooth surfaces; however, TPLI provides better sensitivity and detection threshold for detecting very early stages of caries formation, which is deemed to be critical for the effectiveness of therapeutic and preventive approaches in dentistry. Moreover, due to the more specific nature of the light absorption contrast mechanism over light scattering, TPLI exhibits better detection specificity, which results in less false positive readings and thus allows for the proper differentiation of early caries regions from the surrounding intact areas. The major shortcoming of TPLI is its inherent depth-integrated nature, prohibiting the production of depth-resolved/B-mode like images. The outcomes of this research justify the need for a light-absorption based imaging modality with the ability to produce tomographic and depth-resolved images, combining the key advantages of OCT and TPLI.

Millisecond infrared laser pulses depolarize and elicit action potentials on in-vitro dorsal root ganglion neurons

This work focuses on the optical stimulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons through infrared laser light stimulation. We show that a few millisecond laser pulse at 1875 nm induces a membrane depolarization, which was observed by the patch-clamp technique. This stimulation led to action potentials firing on a minority of neurons beyond an energy threshold. A depolarization without action potential was observed for the majority of DRG neurons, even beyond the action potential energy threshold. The use of ruthenium red, a thermal channel blocker, stops the action potential generation, but has no effects on membrane depolarization. Local temperature measurements reveal that the depolarization amplitude is sensitive to the amplitude of the temperature rise as well as to the time rate of change of temperature, but in a way which may not fully follow a photothermal capacitive mechanism, suggesting that more complex mechanisms are involved.

Higher-order micro-fiber modes for Escherichia coli manipulation using a tapered seven-core fiber

Optical manipulation using optical micro- and nano-fibers has shown potential for controlling bacterial activities such as E. coli trapping, propelling, and binding. Most of these manipulations have been performed using the propagation of the fundamental mode through the fiber. However, along the maximum mode-intensity axis, the higher-order modes have longer evanescent field extensions and larger field amplitudes at the fiber waist than the fundamental mode, opening up new possibilities for manipulating E. coli bacteria. In this work, a compact seven-core fiber (SCF)-based micro-fiber/optical tweezers was demonstrated for trapping, propelling, and rotating E. coli bacteria using the excitation of higher-order modes. The diameter of the SCF taper was 4 µm at the taper waist, which was much larger than that of previous nano-fiber tweezers. The laser wavelength was tunable from 1500 nm to 1600 nm, simultaneously causing photophoretic force, gradient force, and scattering force. This work provides a new opportunity for better understanding optical manipulation using higher-order modes at the single-cell level.

In vivo photothermal treatment with real-time monitoring by optical fiber-needle array

Photothermal treatment (PTT) using gold nanoshells (gold-NSs) is accepted as a method for treating cancer. However, owing to restrictions in therapeutic depth and skin damage caused by excessive light exposure, its application has been limited to lesions close to the epidermis. Here, we demonstrate an in vivo PTT method that uses gold-NSs with a flexible optical fiber-needle array (OFNA), which is an array of multiple needles in which multimode optical fibers are inserted, one in each, for light delivery. The light for PTT was directly administrated to subcutaneous tissues through the OFNA, causing negligible thermal damage to the skin. Enhancement of light energy delivery assisted by the OFNA in a target area was confirmed by investigation using artificial tissues. The ability of OFNA to treat cancer without causing cutaneous thermal damage was also verified by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and optical coherence tomography in cancer models in mice. In addition, the OFNA allowed for observation of the target site through an imaging fiber bundle. By imaging the activation of the injected gold-NSs, we were able to obtain information on the PTT process in real-time.

Photothermal imaging of skeletal muscle mitochondria

The morphology and topology of mitochondria provide useful information about the physiological function of skeletal muscle. Previous studies of skeletal muscle mitochondria are based on observation with transmission, scanning electron microscopy or fluorescence microscopy. In contrast, photothermal (PT) microscopy has advantages over the above commonly used microscopic techniques because of no requirement for complex sample preparation by fixation or fluorescent-dye staining. Here, we employed the PT technique using a simple diode laser to visualize skeletal muscle mitochondria in unstained and stained tissues. The fine mitochondrial network structures in muscle fibers could be imaged with the PT imaging system, even in unstained tissues. PT imaging of tissues stained with toluidine blue revealed the structures of subsarcolemmal (SS) and intermyofibrillar (IMF) mitochondria and the swelling behavior of mitochondria in damaged muscle fibers with sufficient image quality. PT image analyses based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) and Grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) were performed to derive the characteristic size of mitochondria and to discriminate the image patterns of normal and damaged fibers.

Detection of local tissue alteration during retinal laser photocoagulation of ex vivo porcine eyes using phase-resolved optical coherence tomography

Retinal laser photocoagulation is used to treat several ophthalmic diseases. However, it is associated with damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Local tissue alteration during coagulation laser illumination was measured using phase-resolved optical coherence tomography (OCT) M-mode scan as a change in the local optical path length (LOPL). A metric that represents global net tissue alteration was defined using the LOPL change. The visibility of a laser lesion was assessed by three-dimensional OCT volume measurement. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between the introduced metric and the laser lesion visibility. The metric was found to be a statistically significant predictor of the laser lesion visibility independent to laser condition. The proposed method based on an LOPL change is thus promising for retinal photocoagulation monitoring.

Ocular damage effects from 1338-nm pulsed laser radiation in a rabbit eye model

The ocular damage effects induced by transitional near-infrared (NIR) lasers have been investigated for years. However, no retinal damage thresholds are determined in a wide interval between 0.65 ms and 80 ms, and a definite relationship between corneal damage threshold and spot size cannot be drawn from existing data points. In this paper, the in-vivo corneal damage thresholds (ED₅₀s) were determined in New Zealand white rabbits for a single 5 ms pulse at the wavelength of 1338 nm for spot sizes from 0.28 mm to 3.55 mm. Meanwhile, the retinal damage threshold for this laser was determined in chinchilla grey rabbits under the condition that the beam was collimated, and the incident corneal spot diameter was 5.0 mm. The corneal ED₅₀s given in terms of the corneal radiant exposure for spot diameters of 0.28, 0.94, 1.91, and 3.55 mm were 70.3, 35.6, 29.6 and 30.3 J/cm², respectively. The retinal ED₅₀ given in terms of total intraocular energy (TIE) was 0.904 J. The most sensitive ocular tissue to this laser changed from the cornea to retina with the increase of spot size.

Simulation of nanoparticle-mediated near-infrared thermal therapy using GATE

Application of nanotechnology for biomedicine in cancer therapy allows for direct delivery of anticancer agents to tumors. An example of such therapies is the nanoparticle-mediated near-infrared hyperthermia treatment. In order to investigate the influence of nanoparticle properties on the spatial distribution of heat in the tumor and healthy tissues, accurate simulations are required. The Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography (GATE) open-source simulation platform, based on the Geant4 toolkit, is widely used by the research community involved in molecular imaging, radiotherapy and optical imaging. We present an extension of GATE that can model nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermal therapy as well as simple heat diffusion in biological tissues. This new feature of GATE combined with optical imaging allows for the simulation of a theranostic scenario in which the patient is injected with theranostic nanosystems that can simultaneously deliver therapeutic (i.e. hyperthermia therapy) and imaging agents (i.e. fluorescence imaging).

Characterization of fiber-optic light delivery and light-induced temperature changes in a rodent brain for precise optogenetic neuromodulation

Understanding light intensity and temperature increase is of considerable importance in designing or performing in vivo optogenetic experiments. Our study describes the optimal light power at target depth in the rodent brain that would maximize activation of light-gated ion channels while minimizing temperature increase. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of light delivery were used to provide a guideline for suitable light power at a target depth. In addition, MC simulations with the Pennes bio-heat model using data obtained from measurements with a temperature-measuring cannula having 12.3 mV/°C of thermoelectric sensitivity enabled us to predict tissue heating of 0.116 °C/mW on average at target depth of 563 μm and specifically, a maximum mean plateau temperature increase of 0.25 °C/mW at 100 μm depth for 473 nm light. Our study will help to improve the design and performance of optogenetic experiments while avoiding potential over- and under-illumination.

In vitro neuronal depolarization and increased synaptic activity induced by infrared neural stimulation

Neuronal responses to infrared neural stimulation (INS) are explored at the single cell level using patch-clamp electrophysiology. We examined membrane and synaptic responses of solitary tract neurons recorded in acute slices prepared from the Sprague-Dawley rat. Neurons were stimulated using a compact 1890 nm waveguide laser with light delivered to a small target area, comparable to the size of a single cell, via a single-mode fiber. We show that infrared radiation increased spontaneous synaptic event frequency, and evoked steady-state currents and neuronal depolarization. The magnitude of the responses was proportional to laser output.

Depth-resolved analytical model and correction algorithm for photothermal optical coherence tomography

Photothermal OCT (PT-OCT) is an emerging molecular imaging technique that occupies a spatial imaging regime between microscopy and whole body imaging. PT-OCT would benefit from a theoretical model to optimize imaging parameters and test image processing algorithms. We propose the first analytical PT-OCT model to replicate an experimental A-scan in homogeneous and layered samples. We also propose the PT-CLEAN algorithm to reduce phase-accumulation and shadowing, two artifacts found in PT-OCT images, and demonstrate it on phantoms and in vivo mouse tumors.

Optically controlled release of DNA based on nonradiative relaxation process of quenchers

Optically controlled release of a DNA strand based on a nonradiative relaxation process of black hole quenchers (BHQs), which are a sort of dark quenchers, is presented. BHQs act as efficient energy sources because they relax completely via a nonradiative process, i.e., without fluorescent emission-based energy losses. A DNA strand is modified with BHQs and the release of its complementary strand is controlled by excitation of the BHQs. Experimental results showed that up to 50% of the target strands were released, and these strands were capable of inducing subsequent reactions. The controlled release was localized on a substrate within an area of no more than 5 micrometers in diameter.

Retinal thermal damage threshold dependence on exposure duration for the transitional near-infrared laser radiation at 1319 nm

The retinal damage effects induced by transitional near-infrared (NIR) lasers have been investigated for years. However, the damage threshold dependence on exposure duration has not been revealed. In this paper, the in-vivo retinal damage ED50 thresholds were determined in chinchilla grey rabbits for 1319 nm laser radiation for exposure durations from 0.1 s to 10 s. The incident corneal irradiance diameter was fixed at 5 mm. The ED50 thresholds given in terms of the total intraocular energy (TIE) for exposure durations of 0.1, 1 and 10 s were 1.36, 6.33 and 28.6 J respectively. The ED50 thresholds were correlated by a power law equation, ED50 = 6.31t (0.66) [J] where t is time [s], with correlation coefficient R = 0.9999. There exists a sufficient safety margin (factor of 28~60) between the human ED50 thresholds derived from the rabbit and the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) values in the current laser safety standards.

Fast 3D visualization of endogenous brain signals with high-sensitivity laser scanning photothermal microscopy

A fast, high-sensitivity photothermal microscope was developed by implementing a spatially segmented balanced detection scheme into a laser scanning microscope. We confirmed a 4.9 times improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in the spatially segmented balanced detection compared with that of conventional detection. The system demonstrated simultaneous bi-modal photothermal and confocal fluorescence imaging of transgenic mouse brain tissue with a pixel dwell time of 20 μs. The fluorescence image visualized neurons expressing yellow fluorescence proteins, while the photothermal signal detected endogenous chromophores in the mouse brain, allowing 3D visualization of the distribution of various features such as blood cells and fine structures probably due to lipids. This imaging modality was constructed using compact and cost-effective laser diodes, and will thus be widely useful in the life and medical sciences.

Photothermal lesions in soft tissue induced by optical fiber microheaters

Photothermal therapy has shown to be a promising technique for local treatment of tumors. However, the main challenge for this technique is the availability of localized heat sources to minimize thermal damage in the surrounding healthy tissue. In this work, we demonstrate the use of optical fiber microheaters for inducing thermal lesions in soft tissue. The proposed devices incorporate carbon nanotubes or gold nanolayers on the tips of optical fibers for enhanced photothermal effects and heating of ex vivo biological tissues. We report preliminary results of small size photothermal lesions induced on mice liver tissues. The morphology of the resulting lesions shows that optical fiber microheaters may render useful for delivering highly localized heat for photothermal therapy.

In vivo photothermal treatment by the peritumoral injection of macrophages loaded with gold nanoshells

Photothermal treatment methods have been widely studied for their target specificity and potential for supplementing the limitations of conventional surgical treatments. In this study, we conducted in vivo photothermal treatments using macrophages containing nanoshells as live vectors. We injected macrophages at the peritumoral sites and observed that they had penetrated into the tumor approximately 48 hours after injection. Afterwards, we irradiated with a near-infrared laser for 2 minutes at 1 W/cm(2), causing cancer cell death. Our study identified the optimal conditions of the photothermal treatment and confirmed the feasibility of its use in in vivo treatments.

Reduction of distortion in photothermal microscopy and its application to the high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of nonfluorescent tissues

A scheme for reducing image distortion in photothermal microscopy is presented. In photothermal microscopy, the signal shape exhibits twin peaks corresponding to the focusing or defocusing of the probe beam when a sample is scanned in the axial direction. This causes a distortion when imaging a structured sample in the axial plane. Here, we demonstrate that image distortion caused by the twin peaks is effectively suppressed by providing a small offset between two the focal planes of the pump and the probe beams. Experimental results demonstrate improvement in resolution, especially in the axial direction, over conventional optical microscopy-even with the focal offset. When a dry objective lens with a numerical aperture of 0.95 is used, the full width at half the maximum of the axial point spread function is 0.6 μm, which is 50% (62%) smaller than the focal spot sizes of the pump (probe) beam. Herein, we present high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of thick biological tissues based on the present scheme.

Photothermal optical lock-in optical coherence tomography for in vivo imaging

Photothermal OCT (PTOCT) provides high sensitivity to molecular targets in tissue, and occupies a spatial imaging regime that is attractive for small animal imaging. However, current implementations of PTOCT require extensive temporal sampling, resulting in slow frame rates and a large data burden that limit its in vivo utility. To address these limitations, we have implemented optical lock-in techniques for photothermal optical lock-in OCT (poli-OCT), and demonstrated the in vivo imaging capabilities of this approach. The poli-OCT signal was assessed in tissue-mimicking phantoms containing indocyanine green (ICG), an FDA approved small molecule that has not been previously imaged in vivo with PTOCT. Then, the effects of in vivo blood flow and motion artifact were assessed and attenuated, and in vivo poli-OCT was demonstrated with both ICG and gold nanorods as contrast agents. Experiments revealed that poli-OCT signals agreed with optical lock-in theory and the bio-heat equation, and the system exhibited shot noise limited performance. In phantoms containing biologically relevant concentrations of ICG (1 µg/ml), the poli-OCT signal was significantly greater than control phantoms (p<0.05), demonstrating sensitivity to small molecules. Finally, in vivo poli-OCT of ICG identified the lymphatic vessels in a mouse ear, and also identified low concentrations (200 pM) of gold nanorods in subcutaneous injections at frame rates ten times faster than previously reported. This work illustrates that future in vivo molecular imaging studies could benefit from the improved acquisition and analysis times enabled by poli-OCT.

In vivo photothermal optical coherence tomography for non-invasive imaging of endogenous absorption agents

In vivo photothermal optical coherence tomography (OCT) is demonstrated for cross-sectional imaging of endogenous absorption agents. In order to compromise the sensitivity, imaging speed, and sample motion immunity, a new photothermal detection scheme and phase processing method are developed. Phase-resolved swept-source OCT and fiber-pigtailed laser diode (providing excitation at 406 nm) are combined to construct a high-sensitivity photothermal OCT system. OCT probe and excitation beam coaxially illuminate and are focused on tissues. The photothermal excitation and detection procedure is designed to obtain high efficiency of photothermal effect measurement. The principle and method of depth-resolved cross-sectional imaging of absorption agents with photothermal OCT has been derived. The phase-resolved thermal expansion detection algorithm without motion artifact enables in vivo detection of photothermal effect. Phantom imaging with a blood phantom and in vivo human skin imaging are conducted. A phantom with guinea-pig blood as absorber has been scanned by the photothermal OCT system to prove the concept of cross-sectional absorption agent imaging. An in vivo human skin measurement is also performed with endogenous absorption agents.

Photothermal tomography for the functional and structural evaluation, and early mineral loss monitoring in bones

Salient features of a new non-ionizing bone diagnostics technique, truncated-correlation photothermal coherence tomography (TC-PCT), exhibiting optical-grade contrast and capable of resolving the trabecular network in three dimensions through the cortical region with and without a soft-tissue overlayer are presented. The absolute nature and early demineralization-detection capability of a marker called thermal wave occupation index, estimated using the proposed modality, have been established. Selective imaging of regions of a specific mineral density range has been demonstrated in a mouse femur. The method is maximum-permissible-exposure compatible. In a matrix of bone and soft-tissue a depth range of ~3.8 mm has been achieved, which can be increased through instrumental and modulation waveform optimization. Furthermore, photoacoustic microscopy, a comparable modality with TC-PCT, has been used to resolve the trabecular structure and for comparison with the photothermal tomography.

In vivo imaging of nanoparticle delivery and tumor microvasculature with multimodal optical coherence tomography

Current imaging techniques capable of tracking nanoparticles in vivo supply either a large field of view or cellular resolution, but not both. Here, we demonstrate a multimodality imaging platform of optical coherence tomography (OCT) techniques for high resolution, wide field of view in vivo imaging of nanoparticles. This platform includes the first in vivo images of nanoparticle pharmacokinetics acquired with photothermal OCT (PTOCT), along with overlaying images of microvascular and tissue morphology. Gold nanorods (51.8 ± 8.1 nm by 15.2 ± 3.3 nm) were intravenously injected into mice, and their accumulation into mammary tumors was non-invasively imaged in vivo in three dimensions over 24 hours using PTOCT. Spatial frequency analysis of PTOCT images indicated that gold nanorods reached peak distribution throughout the tumors by 16 hours, and remained well-dispersed up to 24 hours post-injection. In contrast, the overall accumulation of gold nanorods within the tumors peaked around 16 hours post-injection. The accumulation of gold nanorods within the tumors was validated post-mortem with multiphoton microscopy. This shows the utility of PTOCT as part of a powerful multimodality imaging platform for the development of nanomedicines and drug delivery technologies.

Nanosecond laser pulse stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons and model cells

Optical stimulation of the inner ear has recently attracted attention, suggesting a higher frequency resolution compared to electrical cochlear implants due to its high spatial stimulation selectivity. Although the feasibility of the effect is shown in multiple in vivo experiments, the stimulation mechanism remains open to discussion. Here we investigate in single-cell measurements the reaction of spiral ganglion neurons and model cells to irradiation with a nanosecond-pulsed laser beam over a broad wavelength range from 420 nm up to 1950 nm using the patch clamp technique. Cell reactions were wavelength- and pulse-energy-dependent but too small to elicit action potentials in the investigated spiral ganglion neurons. As the applied radiant exposure was much higher than the reported threshold for in vivo experiments in the same laser regime, we conclude that in a stimulation paradigm with nanosecond-pulses, direct neuronal stimulation is not the main cause of optical cochlea stimulation.

Optical-thermal light-tissue interactions during photoacoustic breast imaging

Light-tissue interactions during photoacoustic imaging, including dynamic heat transfer processes in and around vascular structures, are not well established. A three-dimensional, transient, optical-thermal computational model was used to simulate energy deposition, temperature distributions and thermal damage in breast tissue during exposure to pulsed laser trains at 800 and 1064 nm. Rapid and repetitive temperature increases and thermal relaxation led to superpositioning effects that were highly dependent on vessel diameter and depth. For a ten second exposure at established safety limits, the maximum single-pulse and total temperature rise levels were 0.2°C and 5.8°C, respectively. No significant thermal damage was predicted. The impact of tissue optical properties, surface boundary condition and irradiation wavelength on peak temperature location and temperature evolution with time are discussed.

Thermoelastic displacement measured by DP-OCT for detecting vulnerable plaques

The detection of thermoelastic displacement by differential phase optical coherence tomography (DP-OCT) was analytically evaluated for identifying atherosclerotic plaques. Analytical solutions were developed to understand the dynamics of physical distribution of point hear sources during/after laser irradiation on thermoelastic responses of MION-injected tissue. Both analytical and experimental results demonstrated a delayed peak displacement along with slow decay after laser pulse due to heterogeneous distribution of the point heat sources. Detailed description of the heat sources in tissue as well as integration of a scanning mirror can improve computational accuracy as well as clinical applicability of DP-OCT for diagnosing vulnerable plaque.

Effect of number density on optimal design of gold nanoshells for plasmonic photothermal therapy

Despite much research efforts being devoted to the design optimization of metallic nanoshells, no account is taken of the fact that the number of the nanoshells that can be delivered to a given cancerous site vary with their size. In this paper, we study the effect of the nanoshell number density on the absorption and scattering properties of a gold-nanoshell ensemble exposed to a broadband near-infrared radiation, and optimize the nanoshells' dimensions for efficient cancer treatment by analyzing a wide range of human tissues. We first consider the general situation in which the number of the delivered nanoshells decreases with their mean radius R as ∝ R(-β), and demonstrate that the optimal design of nanoshells required to treat cancer most efficiently depends critically on β. In the case of β = 2, the maximal energy absorbed (scattered) by the ensemble is achieved for the same dimensions that maximize the absorption (scattering) efficiency of a single nanoshell. We thoroughly study this special case by the example of gold nanoshells with silica core. To ensure that minimal thermal injury is caused to the healthy tissue surrounding a cancerous site, we estimate the optimal dimensions that minimize scattering by the nanoshells for a desired value of the absorption efficiency. The comparison of gold nanoshells with different cores shows that hollow nanoshells exhibiting relatively low absorption efficiency are less harmful to the healthy tissue and, hence, are preferred over the strongly absorbing nanoshells. For each of the cases analyzed, we provide approximate analytical expressions for the optimal nanoshell dimensions, which may be used as design guidelines by experimentalists, in order to optimize the synthesis of gold nanoshells for treating different types of human cancer at their various growth stages.

In vivo photothermal optical coherence tomography of gold nanorod contrast agents

Photothermal optical coherence tomography (PT-OCT) is a potentially powerful tool for molecular imaging. Here, we characterize PT-OCT imaging of gold nanorod (GNR) contrast agents in phantoms, and we apply these techniques for in vivo GNR imaging. The PT-OCT signal was compared to the bio-heat equation in phantoms, and in vivo PT-OCT images were acquired from subcutaneous 400 pM GNR Matrigel injections into mice. Experiments revealed that PT-OCT signals varied as predicted by the bio-heat equation, with significant PT-OCT signal increases at 7.5 pM GNR compared to a scattering control (p < 0.01) while imaging in common path configuration. In vivo PT-OCT images demonstrated an appreciable increase in signal in the presence of GNRs compared to controls. Additionally, in vivo PT-OCT GNR signals were spatially distinct from blood vessels imaged with Doppler OCT. We anticipate that the demonstrated in vivo PT-OCT sensitivity to GNR contrast agents is sufficient to image molecular expression in vivo. Therefore, this work demonstrates the translation of PT-OCT to in vivo imaging and represents the next step towards its use as an in vivo molecular imaging tool.

Imaging thermal expansion and retinal tissue changes during photocoagulation by high speed OCT

Visualizing retinal photocoagulation by real-time OCT measurements may considerably improve the understanding of thermally induced tissue changes and might enable a better reproducibility of the ocular laser treatment. High speed Doppler OCT with 860 frames per second imaged tissue changes in the fundus of enucleated porcine eyes during laser irradiation. Tissue motion, measured by Doppler OCT with nanometer resolution, was correlated with the temperature increase, which was measured non-invasively by optoacoustics. In enucleated eyes, the increase of the OCT signal near the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) corresponded well to the macroscopically visible whitening of the tissue. At low irradiance, Doppler OCT revealed additionally a reversible thermal expansion of the retina. At higher irradiance additional movement due to irreversible tissue changes was observed. Measurements of the tissue expansion were also possible in vivo in a rabbit with submicrometer resolution when global tissue motion was compensated. Doppler OCT may be used for spatially resolved measurements of retinal temperature increases and thermally induced tissue changes. It can play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of photocoagulation and, eventually, lead to new strategies for retinal laser treatments.

Quantitative comparison of optimized nanorods, nanoshells and hollow nanospheres for photothermal therapy

The purpose of this study is to get more efficient gold nanoparticles, for necrosis of cancer cells, in photothermal therapy. Therefore a numerical maximization of the absorption efficiency of a set of nanoparticles (nanorod, nanoshell and hollow nanosphere) is proposed, assuming that all the absorbed light is converted to heat. Two therapeutic cases (shallow and deep cancer) are considered. The numerical tools used in this study are the full Mie theory, the discrete dipole approximation and the particle swarm optimization. The optimization leads to an improved efficiency of the nanoparticles compared with previous studies. For the shallow cancer therapy, the hollow nanosphere seems to be more efficient than the other nanoparticles, whereas the hollow nanosphere and nanorod, offer comparable absorption efficiencies, for deep cancer therapy. Finally, a study of tolerance for the size parameters to guarantee an absorption efficiency threshold is included.

Sub-wavelength infrared imaging of lipids

Infrared absorption spectroscopy of lipid layers was performed by combining optics and scanning probe microscopy. This experimental approach enables sub-diffraction IR imaging with a spatial resolution on the nanometer scale of 1, 2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine lipid layers.