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US 11,077,213 B2Granted
Short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) fluorescence in vivo and intravital imaging with semiconductor nanocrystals
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsMoungi G. Bawendi, Daniel K. Harris, Oliver T. Bruns, Thomas S. Bischof
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Abstract
InAs based core-shell particles which leads to tunable, narrow emitting semiconductor nanocrystals with a very high quantum yield which can be preserved in physiological buffers with long stability can used for short wavelength infrared (SWIR) imaging. Increased resolution with reduced read time and increased imaging frequency can provide advantages in in vivo applications.
Claims13
A method of imaging comprising:
- introducing a composition including a particle containing a semiconductor nanocrystal comprising indium arsenide into a subject, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal includes a core and an outer layer including a solubilizing ligand wherein the ligand includes a first monomer unit including a first moiety having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystal, a second monomer unit including a second moiety having a high water solubility including a polyethylene glycol, wherein a hydrodynamic diameter of the semiconductor nanocrystal is less than 30 nm and the semiconductor nanocrystal emits light having a wavelength greater than 900 nm;
- a third monomer unit including a third moiety having a selectively reactive functional group or a selectively binding functional group;
- exciting the particle with an excitation light source;
- detecting emission from the particle in short wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectrum including sampling at an imaging frequency of at least 48 fps over a range from 950 nm to 1700 nm;
- and
- generating a real-time image of an area surrounding of the subject from the detected SWIR emission.
3 more elements
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a source of excitation light configured to direct the excitation light at a subject stage;
- a detector configured to collect emitted light from a subject on the subject stage, wherein the emitted light is in a short wavelength infrared (SWIR) wavelength region from a semiconductor nanocrystal comprising indium arsenide by sampling at an imaging frequency of at least 48 fps over a range from 950 nm to 1700 nm;
- and
- an image generator configured to create a real-time image from the detected emitted light, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal includes a core and an outer layer including a solubilizing ligand wherein the ligand includes a first monomer unit including a first moiety having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystal, a second monomer unit including a second moiety having a high water solubility including a polyethylene glycol, wherein a hydrodynamic diameter of the semiconductor nanocrystal is less than 30 nm and the semiconductor nanocrystal emits light having a wavelength greater than 900 nm, and a third monomer unit including a third moiety having a selectively reactive functional group or a selectively binding functional group.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.