Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425340
C. Massaro, F. Cosentino, R. Terzi, T. Marcianò, L. Capodieci, E. Bloise, G. Mele
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a very attractive polymer for food packaging application. In this work we tried to develop a smart PLA film, especially to improve its potential food applications providing antibacterial properties by means of functionalization of the film surface with cardanol-based vesicle nanodispersion obtained by an environmental-friendly process. We used cardanol-based nanovesicles loaded with porphyrin molecules itself cardanol functionalized, in order to prepare a composite material that can act as potential “smart film” as acid indicator: the film changes its colour according to the acid atmosphere it reveals thanks to the conformational change of porphyrin. Starting from commercial PLA pellets, films were extruded and cardanol-based nanovescicles embedded with porphyrin were deposited on these PLA films by simple casting of the aqueous vescicular nanodispersion. The functionalized PLA films were then studied by mechanical testing. SEM-FEG characterization, and UV -visible measurements were performed to investigate the presence of cardanol-based nanodispersion on the film and the acid response of porphyrin.
{"title":"Smart Poly(lactic acid)-Functionalized Films with Cardanol-Based Nanovesicles Obtained from Renewable Resources for Food Packaging Application","authors":"C. Massaro, F. Cosentino, R. Terzi, T. Marcianò, L. Capodieci, E. Bloise, G. Mele","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425340","url":null,"abstract":"Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a very attractive polymer for food packaging application. In this work we tried to develop a smart PLA film, especially to improve its potential food applications providing antibacterial properties by means of functionalization of the film surface with cardanol-based vesicle nanodispersion obtained by an environmental-friendly process. We used cardanol-based nanovesicles loaded with porphyrin molecules itself cardanol functionalized, in order to prepare a composite material that can act as potential “smart film” as acid indicator: the film changes its colour according to the acid atmosphere it reveals thanks to the conformational change of porphyrin. Starting from commercial PLA pellets, films were extruded and cardanol-based nanovescicles embedded with porphyrin were deposited on these PLA films by simple casting of the aqueous vescicular nanodispersion. The functionalized PLA films were then studied by mechanical testing. SEM-FEG characterization, and UV -visible measurements were performed to investigate the presence of cardanol-based nanodispersion on the film and the acid response of porphyrin.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133067561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425324
B. Adinolfi, F. Baldini, C. Berrettoni, S. Berneschi, A. Giannetti, S. Tombelli, C. Trono, R. Bernini, I. A. Grimaldi, G. Persichetti, G. Testa, C. Kremer, C. Gärtner
When dealing with transplanted patient treatment, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) represents one of the most crucial aspects for the individualization of the correct dosage of immunosuppressants, in order to ensure an appropriate medical treatment and avoid the rejection of the transplanted organ. A new Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) based optical biochip for the detection of immunosuppressants in transplanted patients and suitable for point of care testing (POCT) was designed. As first integration of a binding inhibition immunoassay with the optical biochip, a mycophenolic acid assay was performed on the prototype chip.
{"title":"Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence-based Optical Biochip for the Detection of Immunosuppressants in Transplanted Patients","authors":"B. Adinolfi, F. Baldini, C. Berrettoni, S. Berneschi, A. Giannetti, S. Tombelli, C. Trono, R. Bernini, I. A. Grimaldi, G. Persichetti, G. Testa, C. Kremer, C. Gärtner","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425324","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425324","url":null,"abstract":"When dealing with transplanted patient treatment, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) represents one of the most crucial aspects for the individualization of the correct dosage of immunosuppressants, in order to ensure an appropriate medical treatment and avoid the rejection of the transplanted organ. A new Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) based optical biochip for the detection of immunosuppressants in transplanted patients and suitable for point of care testing (POCT) was designed. As first integration of a binding inhibition immunoassay with the optical biochip, a mycophenolic acid assay was performed on the prototype chip.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131846400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425276
C. Somaschini, A. Fedorov, S. Bietti, D. Scarpellini, S. Sanguinetti
We identified the growth conditions which lead to the formation of a flat top facet in GaAs nanowires, grown by the self-assisted method in molecular beam epitaxy. Low arsenic overpressure, intermediate temperature and relatively long annealing time are needed to transform the Ga droplets present at the top of the nanowires into a flat GaAs segment. This result opens the possibility to realize atomically sharp heterointerfaces in this type of semiconductor nanowires.
{"title":"Flat top formation in self-assisted GaAs nanowires","authors":"C. Somaschini, A. Fedorov, S. Bietti, D. Scarpellini, S. Sanguinetti","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425276","url":null,"abstract":"We identified the growth conditions which lead to the formation of a flat top facet in GaAs nanowires, grown by the self-assisted method in molecular beam epitaxy. Low arsenic overpressure, intermediate temperature and relatively long annealing time are needed to transform the Ga droplets present at the top of the nanowires into a flat GaAs segment. This result opens the possibility to realize atomically sharp heterointerfaces in this type of semiconductor nanowires.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114284521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425281
S. Campilongo, M. D. De Giorgi, A. Ficarella, E. Pescini, Aldebara Sciolti, G. Dilecce
Aim of the present paper is the characterization of a non-premixed methane/air microburner, Bunsen-type, equipped with a plasma actuator for the flame stabilization and the blowoff control. The burner is optically accessible to permit imaging acquisitions of the flame region. The plasma actuation regards the air flow, while the fuel flow is protected by the action of the electric field. The limits of flashback and blowoff were recorded in presence and in absence of the plasma actuation. The flame behavior was acquired using a digital camera in order to capture the differences between the baseline conditions and the actuated cases. The results appear very encouraging for future application in powering micro-devices for aerial and industrial application. It was shown that the plasma significantly allows stabilizing the flame under lean conditions where it would not exist without plasma.
{"title":"Plasma Actuation to Enhance the Flame Stabilization in a Non-Premixed Lean Microburner","authors":"S. Campilongo, M. D. De Giorgi, A. Ficarella, E. Pescini, Aldebara Sciolti, G. Dilecce","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425281","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the present paper is the characterization of a non-premixed methane/air microburner, Bunsen-type, equipped with a plasma actuator for the flame stabilization and the blowoff control. The burner is optically accessible to permit imaging acquisitions of the flame region. The plasma actuation regards the air flow, while the fuel flow is protected by the action of the electric field. The limits of flashback and blowoff were recorded in presence and in absence of the plasma actuation. The flame behavior was acquired using a digital camera in order to capture the differences between the baseline conditions and the actuated cases. The results appear very encouraging for future application in powering micro-devices for aerial and industrial application. It was shown that the plasma significantly allows stabilizing the flame under lean conditions where it would not exist without plasma.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130817817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425361
I. A. Grimaldi, G. Persichetti, G. Testa, R. Bernini
We developed a biophotonic ring resonators for label-free biosensing. We first study an optimization approach for improving the optical performance of Su-8 based ring resonator. The effects of an ultrathin Su-8 under-layer are evaluated in terms of quality factor. An improvement of about 20% is obtained, as a consequence of the improved polymeric affinity between the substrate and the ring material. The biophotonic device is, than, integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel for biomolecule detection. The experimental results indicated that the ring resonators are able to detect the biomolecules of bovine serum albumin (BSA) after their immobilization on the Su-8 surface.
{"title":"Polymeric Ring Resonators for Label-Free Biosensing","authors":"I. A. Grimaldi, G. Persichetti, G. Testa, R. Bernini","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425361","url":null,"abstract":"We developed a biophotonic ring resonators for label-free biosensing. We first study an optimization approach for improving the optical performance of Su-8 based ring resonator. The effects of an ultrathin Su-8 under-layer are evaluated in terms of quality factor. An improvement of about 20% is obtained, as a consequence of the improved polymeric affinity between the substrate and the ring material. The biophotonic device is, than, integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel for biomolecule detection. The experimental results indicated that the ring resonators are able to detect the biomolecules of bovine serum albumin (BSA) after their immobilization on the Su-8 surface.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129917537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425331
C. Avigo, N. Di Lascio, C. Kusmic, F. Faita, L. Menichetti, P. Armanetti, G. Bocci, T. Di Desidero, N. Di Lascio, L. Menichetti
The photoacoustic (PA) technology combined with high frequency ultrasound (HF -US) is a versatile tool to assess real-time and non-invasively the morpho-functional and molecular information of a target tissue, and to map the distribution of contrast agents. Recently a plethora of novel nanomaterials were developed as contrast agents and/or drug delivery systems. In this work, we report the use of micro-bubbles and gold nanorods (GNRs) as vascular contrast agents for the characterization of tumor micro-environment, combining HF-US and PA imaging. A bolus of 50µL of untargeted micro-bubbles and a bolus of 150µL of GNRs solution were injected intravenously in two male colon cancer xenograft mice and detected with a commercial PA-US imaging system. The subcutaneous tumor dimensions were assessed by means of B-mode images (146.48 mm2and 24.56 mm2); different perfusion parameters were estimated tracking the micro-bubbles (peak enhancement map; time to peak 51,3s, 58,7s and 39s and wash-in rate 35,5s, 5,4s and 109,4s for different tumor regions); the real time distribution of GNRs in the tumor was assessed by means of the amplitude variation of the PA signal during time (30 % increase of the PA signal 28 min after injection). The combination of HF-US and PA imaging could become an efficient and non invasive tool for the in vivo and real-time evaluation of the tissue viability, to visualize the map of perfusion and monitoring the efficacy of drug/nano-particle delivery. The use of targeted microbubbles and nanoparticles could open new avenues for the real-time mapping of specific cell epitopes and phenotypes.
{"title":"High frequency ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging for tissue characterization in vivo","authors":"C. Avigo, N. Di Lascio, C. Kusmic, F. Faita, L. Menichetti, P. Armanetti, G. Bocci, T. Di Desidero, N. Di Lascio, L. Menichetti","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425331","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425331","url":null,"abstract":"The photoacoustic (PA) technology combined with high frequency ultrasound (HF -US) is a versatile tool to assess real-time and non-invasively the morpho-functional and molecular information of a target tissue, and to map the distribution of contrast agents. Recently a plethora of novel nanomaterials were developed as contrast agents and/or drug delivery systems. In this work, we report the use of micro-bubbles and gold nanorods (GNRs) as vascular contrast agents for the characterization of tumor micro-environment, combining HF-US and PA imaging. A bolus of 50µL of untargeted micro-bubbles and a bolus of 150µL of GNRs solution were injected intravenously in two male colon cancer xenograft mice and detected with a commercial PA-US imaging system. The subcutaneous tumor dimensions were assessed by means of B-mode images (146.48 mm2and 24.56 mm2); different perfusion parameters were estimated tracking the micro-bubbles (peak enhancement map; time to peak 51,3s, 58,7s and 39s and wash-in rate 35,5s, 5,4s and 109,4s for different tumor regions); the real time distribution of GNRs in the tumor was assessed by means of the amplitude variation of the PA signal during time (30 % increase of the PA signal 28 min after injection). The combination of HF-US and PA imaging could become an efficient and non invasive tool for the in vivo and real-time evaluation of the tissue viability, to visualize the map of perfusion and monitoring the efficacy of drug/nano-particle delivery. The use of targeted microbubbles and nanoparticles could open new avenues for the real-time mapping of specific cell epitopes and phenotypes.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"91 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124630627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425336
Feiyan Li, Lin Lin, Chengfeng Yang, M. Ma
Bio-inspired molecular communication is a novel kind of communication technology, which uses biochemical molecules as the information carrier. Single nanomachine has limited ability to accomplish targeted goals, so a nanonetwork, which is composed of interconnected nanomachines, is expected. To perform cooperative operations in a nanonetwork, the synchronization among nanomachines is essential. With this purpose, we propose a simple quorum-sensing-based oscillation model. By using the proposed methodology, the instantaneous emission of molecules in quorum sensing is modeled and evaluated. The self-excited oscillation can occur when the molecular concentration decreases below a certain threshold. Analysis and simulations are performed to determine how the biological attributes of the nanomachines, the threshold, the distance between nanomachines and the dimension of the simulation space impact the periods and the phases of the oscillation.
{"title":"Evaluation of Molecular Oscillation for Nanonetworks Based on Quorum Sensing","authors":"Feiyan Li, Lin Lin, Chengfeng Yang, M. Ma","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425336","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425336","url":null,"abstract":"Bio-inspired molecular communication is a novel kind of communication technology, which uses biochemical molecules as the information carrier. Single nanomachine has limited ability to accomplish targeted goals, so a nanonetwork, which is composed of interconnected nanomachines, is expected. To perform cooperative operations in a nanonetwork, the synchronization among nanomachines is essential. With this purpose, we propose a simple quorum-sensing-based oscillation model. By using the proposed methodology, the instantaneous emission of molecules in quorum sensing is modeled and evaluated. The self-excited oscillation can occur when the molecular concentration decreases below a certain threshold. Analysis and simulations are performed to determine how the biological attributes of the nanomachines, the threshold, the distance between nanomachines and the dimension of the simulation space impact the periods and the phases of the oscillation.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"118 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114565475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425332
S. Urooj, Shilpi Ghosh
In this paper, fabrication of vague manganese oxide and MnO2/Carbon Vulcan nanocomposite by utilizing chemical co-precipitation technique is been reported. The electrical and electrochemical characteristics of these nanomaterials are investigated following distinct pathways involving Cyclic Voltammetry, EIS, GCD and I-V tests. This investigation is preceded by evaluation of certain parameters such as specific capacitance, energy density and power density. Depending upon this evaluation, a comparative study between both the nanomaterials is been explored to designate the supreme auspicious material favorable for energy conservation application in supercapacitors.
{"title":"Electrochemical Investigation and Characterization of vague MnO2 and MnO2-Carbon Vulcan Nanocomposite for Energy Conservation in Supercapacitors","authors":"S. Urooj, Shilpi Ghosh","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425332","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425332","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, fabrication of vague manganese oxide and MnO2/Carbon Vulcan nanocomposite by utilizing chemical co-precipitation technique is been reported. The electrical and electrochemical characteristics of these nanomaterials are investigated following distinct pathways involving Cyclic Voltammetry, EIS, GCD and I-V tests. This investigation is preceded by evaluation of certain parameters such as specific capacitance, energy density and power density. Depending upon this evaluation, a comparative study between both the nanomaterials is been explored to designate the supreme auspicious material favorable for energy conservation application in supercapacitors.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"43 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121642761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425343
A. Lay-Ekuakille, G. Griffo, A. Massaro, G. Cicala, G. Gigli, F. Conversano, S. Casciaro
Bio-implantable circuits always raise interest because it is already the frontier of overcoming different deficiencies of human body physiological limitations and impairments. They allow, on one hand the operating mode of internal organs, and the contact with outside, at the other hand, thanks to wired and/or wireless architectures. EEG (Electroencephalogram) signals are an example of a topic where scientists and researchers have been working to use them for preventing general and specific pathologies regarding namely central nervous system and other physiological aspects. This paper illustrates preliminary results of nanocircuits used for a bio-implantable neuro-case encompassing circuits useful for signal processing and measurement.
{"title":"Nanocircuits for a Bio-Implantable System in EEG Signal Acquisitions","authors":"A. Lay-Ekuakille, G. Griffo, A. Massaro, G. Cicala, G. Gigli, F. Conversano, S. Casciaro","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425343","url":null,"abstract":"Bio-implantable circuits always raise interest because it is already the frontier of overcoming different deficiencies of human body physiological limitations and impairments. They allow, on one hand the operating mode of internal organs, and the contact with outside, at the other hand, thanks to wired and/or wireless architectures. EEG (Electroencephalogram) signals are an example of a topic where scientists and researchers have been working to use them for preventing general and specific pathologies regarding namely central nervous system and other physiological aspects. This paper illustrates preliminary results of nanocircuits used for a bio-implantable neuro-case encompassing circuits useful for signal processing and measurement.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"75 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115627205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-07-01DOI: 10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425363
S. Casciaro, F. Conversano, P. Pisani, A. Greco, E. Casciaro, M. Di Paola, R. Franchini, A. Lay-Ekuakille, S. Leporatti, G. Gigli
Aim of this work was to investigate the effect of ultrasound incident frequency on the echographic contrast enhancement power of an experimental drug delivery agent, halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs), and to determine a suitable configuration in terms of both insonification frequency and particle concentration for an effective employment as targeted contrast agent. Various HNT concentrations (range 0.25-3.00 mg/mL) were dispersed in custom-designed tissue-mimicking phantoms and exposed to different ultrasound frequencies (7–11 MHz) through a conventional clinically-available echographic device. Off-line analysis included the evaluation of both amplitude of backscattered ultrasound signals and image brightness. Amplitude of HNT-backscattered signals showed a linear increase with particle concentration, while image brightness enhancement was limited by logarithmic compression effects. On the other hand, backscatter amplitude showed significant increments with increasing ultrasound frequency up to 10 MHz, then showing a concentration-dependent behavior without further enhancements. Overall, the most effective response was found when a 10-MHz ultrasound frequency was employed to insonify HNTs at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, the present study optimized the combination of incident ultrasound frequency and HNT concentration, in order to obtain an echographic image enhancement suitable for medical applications. Future dedicated studies will assess the feasibility of automatic detection of HNTs within echographic images and their possible employment as theranostic agents.
{"title":"Ultrasound Signal Enhancement of Halloysite Clay Nanotubes at Medical Diagnostic Frequencies","authors":"S. Casciaro, F. Conversano, P. Pisani, A. Greco, E. Casciaro, M. Di Paola, R. Franchini, A. Lay-Ekuakille, S. Leporatti, G. Gigli","doi":"10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NANOFIM.2015.8425363","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of this work was to investigate the effect of ultrasound incident frequency on the echographic contrast enhancement power of an experimental drug delivery agent, halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs), and to determine a suitable configuration in terms of both insonification frequency and particle concentration for an effective employment as targeted contrast agent. Various HNT concentrations (range 0.25-3.00 mg/mL) were dispersed in custom-designed tissue-mimicking phantoms and exposed to different ultrasound frequencies (7–11 MHz) through a conventional clinically-available echographic device. Off-line analysis included the evaluation of both amplitude of backscattered ultrasound signals and image brightness. Amplitude of HNT-backscattered signals showed a linear increase with particle concentration, while image brightness enhancement was limited by logarithmic compression effects. On the other hand, backscatter amplitude showed significant increments with increasing ultrasound frequency up to 10 MHz, then showing a concentration-dependent behavior without further enhancements. Overall, the most effective response was found when a 10-MHz ultrasound frequency was employed to insonify HNTs at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, the present study optimized the combination of incident ultrasound frequency and HNT concentration, in order to obtain an echographic image enhancement suitable for medical applications. Future dedicated studies will assess the feasibility of automatic detection of HNTs within echographic images and their possible employment as theranostic agents.","PeriodicalId":413629,"journal":{"name":"2015 1st Workshop on Nanotechnology in Instrumentation and Measurement (NANOFIM)","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128260507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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