Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Photoacoustic (PA) detection of single absorbing targets such as nanoparticles or cells can be limited by absorption background. We show here that this problem can be overcome by using the nonlinear photoacoustics based on the differences in PA signal dependences on the laser energy from targets and background. Among different nonlinear phenomena, we focused on laser generation of nanobubbles as more efficient PA signal amplifiers from strongly absorbing, highly localized targets in the presence of spatially homogenous absorption background generating linear signals only. This approach was demonstrated by using nonlinear PA flow cytometry platform for label-free detection of circulating melanoma cells in blood background in vitro and in vivo. Nonlinearly amplified PA signals from overheated melanin nanoclusters in melanoma cells became detectable above still linear blood background. Nonlinear nanobubble-based photoacoustics provide new opportunities to significantly (5–20-fold) increase PA contrast of single nanoparticles, cells, viruses and bacteria in complex biological environments.
Source: Photoacoustics
Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,200
Awards: Photothermal Imaging of Live Cells, In vivo real time detection of circulating melanoma cells, In vivo molecular laser detection and treatment of circulating cancer stem cells, G3814598431, G4554119844, G5219335048, G611403590, Photoswitchable nanoprobes for in vivo flow cytometry, IDBR: In vivo multifunctional photothermal cytometry, G7399195306, G7517188825, Multifunctional nanotubes for in vivo detecting/purging circulating cancer cells, G8957831900
OpenAlex ID: W1982953228