A novel flexible neural ribbon electrode with a self-adaptive feature is successfully implemented for various small nerves recording. As a neural interface, the selective recording capability is characterized by having reliable signal acquisitions from the sciatic nerve and its branches such as the peroneal nerve, the tibial nerve, and the sural nerve.
Noninvasive and nonionizing imaging of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) is highly desirable for the detection of breast cancer metastasis through sentinel lymph node biopsy. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging imaging technique that can serve as a suitable approach for SLN imaging. Herein, novel conjugated oligomer based nanoparticles (NPs) with strong NIR absorption, good biocompatibility, excellent PA contrast, and good photothermal conversion efficiency are reported. Real-time PA imaging of SLN reveals high resolution of the NPs via injection from the left forepaw pad. In addition, the surface functionalized NPs can target breast cancer cells and kill them efficiently and specifically through photothermal therapy upon 808 nm laser irradiation. This work shows great potential of the nanoparticle PA contrast agent to serve as a multifunctional probe for photothermal therapy at SLNs to achieve the inhibition of cancer cell metastasis in the near future.
Infrared-emitting
rare-earth (ytterbium and erbium) doped nanoparticles
(REDNPs) have recently emerged as an excellent probe for both deep
tissue luminescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging with high resolutions
and contrast. Here we report on the first study of the size and surface
effects of the infrared PA imaging of dual modal REDNPs. We show that
the PA signal amplitude generated by REDNPs is increased by increasing
the size and coating the inorganic shell (undoped NaYF4 or silica). We have also discovered that the choice of the coating
material is critical as undoped NaYF4 shell was able to
enhance PA signal amplitude (by up to ∼30%) and infrared emission
(19 times) simultaneously. The simultaneous enhancement of PA signal
amplitude and infrared emission was due to increased phonon modes
and reduced surface effects. The in vivo PA images obtained demonstrated
that in addition to being excellent luminescent probes, the REDNPs
also performed as successful PA contrast agents to visualize rodent
cortical blood vessels.
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