Photoacoustic Tomography Enhanced by Nanoparticles

Lei Li

Lei Li

Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

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Junjie Yao

Junjie Yao

Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

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Lihong V. Wang

Lihong V. Wang

Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

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First published: 16 November 2016
Citations: 2

Abstract

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a multicontrast and omniscale imaging modality that can provide anatomical, functional, metabolic, and molecular images of biological tissue ranging from organelles to organs or small-animal organisms. PAT can provide up to submicrometer spatial resolution at shallow depths and hundreds of micrometer resolution at centimeters depths, employing either endogenous or exogenous contrasts. In particular, nanoparticles, as exogenous contrasts, absorb near-infrared light much more strongly than endogenous chromophores; thus, they can enhance PAT with significantly improved detection sensitivity, imaging contrasts, and specificity at depths. This article reviews the use of nanoparticles to enhance PAT in various biomedical applications. Taking advantage of nanoparticles engineered with different structures and functions, PAT can target specific molecules or cells. By manipulating nanoparticles with light or ultrasound, enhanced PAT can improve drug delivery efficiency and guide therapy. In summary, nanoparticle-enhanced PAT shows great potential for high-sensitivity, high-specificity deep tissue imaging, especially for cancer diagnosis and therapy, and for treatment monitoring.

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