Jun 11 2010
The results of the research on radioactive optical imaging were presented at the 57th annual meeting of Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM). The multidisciplinary study was conducted to capture radioactive-excited nanoparticles and radiation luminescence to help in identifying delicate signs of the disease and tumors.
The existing image technology and nuclear medicine agents capture the behavior of particles only at atomic, molecular and cellular levels. But, the radioactive nanoparticles emit light that is barely visible and can be identified with the help of high-sensitive optical imaging systems.
Research was conducted focusing on a low-energy light, which can be detected only by using very precise optical cameras and it cannot be seen by humans. The source of the light is the near-infrared and visible band of electromagnetic spectrum. For the study, physicists used molecular imaging agents that are commonly used to identify biological processes happening within the body. Some of the imaging agents used in the research are sodium iodide-based Na131I, 90Y labeled peptide, fluorine-based 18F-FDG and Na18F, and yttrium-based 90Y-Cl3.
The new research findings specify that nano-imaging techniques with quantum dots and radiation luminescence could prove potential for non-invasive imaging procedures using optical imaging systems. This will have an impact on the early disease detection and diagnosis significantly. Moreover, the techniques may also be applied in image-guided therapies in the future.
The radiology assistant professor at Stanford University and co-author of the research, Zhen Cheng commented that the study was essential as there is an increase in research on molecular imaging, for earlier detection of many diseases. This research combines optical and nuclear imaging, representing an innovative platform for study on molecular imaging. He added that the technique is expected to be used in many bionanotechnology and medical researches, and clinical imaging.
Source: http://www.snm.org/