Optical methods such as absorptiometry, fluorescence, and surface plasmon resonance have long been explored for sensing glucose. However, these schemes have not had the clinical success of electrochemical methods for point-of-care testing because of the limited performance of optical sensors and the bulky instruments they require. Here, we show that an ultrasensitive optical transducer can be used for wireless glucose monitoring via a smartphone. The optical transducer combines oxygen-sensitive polymer dots (Pdots) with glucose oxidase that sensitively detect glucose when oxygen is consumed in the glucose oxidation reaction. By judicious design of the Pdots with ultralong phosphorescence lifetime, the transducer exhibited a significantly enhanced sensitivity by 1 order of magnitude as compared to the one in a previous study. As a result, the optical images of subcutaneous glucose level obtained with the smartphone camera could be utilized to clearly distinguish between euglycemia and hyperglycemia. We further developed an image processing algorithm and a software application that was installed on a smartphone. Real-time dynamic glucose monitoring in live mice was demonstrated with the smartphone and the implanted Pdot transducer.

Conventional photodynamic therapy is severely constrained by the limited light-penetration depth in tissue. Here, we show efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) that overcomes the light-penetration limitation. The photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB) was loaded in biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, which were then conjugated with firefly luciferase. Spectroscopic characterizations indicated that BRET effectively activated RB to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In vitro studies of the cellular cytotoxicity and photodynamic effect indicated that cancer cells were effectively destroyed by BRET-PDT treatment. In vivo studies in a tumor-bearing mouse model demonstrated that tumor growth was significantly inhibited by BRET-PDT in the absence of external light irradiation. The BRET-mediated phototherapy provides a promising approach to overcome the light-penetration limitation in photodynamic treatment of deep-seated tumors.

The dual-photosensitizer upconversion nanoplatform takes advantage of upconversion luminescence and generates singlet oxygen and free radicals for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

Semiconductor polymer dots (Pdots) are emerging as an excellent fluorescent probe in biology and medicine. However, the photostability of Pdots can't meet the requirements of long term single-particle imaging and tracking applications. Here we describe the enhanced single-particle brightness and photostability of Pdots by using an efficient enzymatic oxygen scavenging system (OSS). Pdots with particle diameters of 21 nm and 43 nm (PFBT21 and PFBT43) were prepared by a nanoprecipitation method. Single-particle imaging and photobleaching were performed to investigate the effect of OSS on the per-particle brightness and photostability of Pdots. Our results indicate that the single-particle brightness of the PFBT21 Pdots in OSS was enhanced nearly two times as compare to the PFBT21 Pdots in water. The photobleaching percentages of PFBT21 and PFBT43 in OSS were determined to be 29% and 33%, respectively. These values are decreased by 2-3 times as compared to those of the same Pdots in water, indicating the significantly improved photostability of Pdots by OSS. This study provides a promising approach for enhancing photostability of Pdots in long term single-particle tracking. 1. Introduction Single-particle fluorescence techniques have been widely used in biomedical engineering and biophotonics for investigation of cellular processes such as molecular transport, membrane dynamics, protein folding, and enzyme kinetics [1-8]. Optical super-resolution imaging modalities have been able to resolve subcellular structures and dynamic movements at the accuracy of the nanometer scale [9,10]. Bright and photostable probes are essential to achieve precise localization and high resolution in these optical imaging and tracking

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We report aminophenol (A)-modified gold nanoparticles (AGNPs), which have potent antibacterial effects against multidrug-resistant bacteria with a broad antibacterial spectrum. Moreover, a series of in vitro and in vivo models...

This paper presents the design and fabrication of an etched implant junction termination extension (JTE) for high-voltage 4H-SiC PiN diodes. Unlike the conventional JTE structure, the proposed structure utilizes multiple etching steps to achieve the optimum JTE concentration range. The simulation results show that the etched implant JTE method can improve the blocking voltage of SiC PiN diodes and also provides broad process latitude for parameter variations, such as implantation dose and activation annealing condition. The fabricated SiC PiN diodes with the etched implant JTE exhibit a highest blocking voltage of 4.5 kV and the forward on-state voltage of 4.6 V at room temperature. These results are of interest for understanding the etched implant method in the fabrication of high-voltage power devices.