SBIR/STTR PHASE I: NMR Properties of Carbon Nanomaterials for Medical Applications

这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将开发用于磁共振成像(MRI)造影剂的新型三金属氮化物模板内面富勒烯(TNTs)材料。TNTs提供了重要的诊断和治疗可能性，现在已经有了足够的研究数量。用于溶解TNTs的化学官能化反应现在也是可用的。TNTs为目前的MRI造影剂提供了一种令人兴奋的替代方法。TNTs提供了将各种顺磁性金属包裹到C80富勒烯笼子中的灵活性。由于几种金属是顺磁性的，作为核磁共振造影剂，平衡材料成本和效率的生产优化计划是该项目的主要重点。基于TNT的造影剂的开发有望带来更小的患者剂量、更高的T1弛豫速率和更高的产品安全性。该项目的商业应用是在MRI成像市场的造影剂领域。如果成功，该项目可能导致磁共振成像能力和使用的显著扩展，每年开发新业务的潜力约为7亿美元。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop novel trimetallic nitride template endohedral fullerene (TNTs) materials for use as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). TNTs, which offer significant diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities, are now available in sufficient research quantities. Chemical functionalization reactions to solubilize the TNTs are also now available. TNTs offer an exciting alternative to current MRI contrast agents. TNTs offer the flexibility of excapsulating a variety of paramagnetic metals into the C80 fullerene cage. As several of the metals are paramagnetic, a production optimization plan balancing cost of materials versus efficiency as an MRI contrast agent is a primary focus of this project. The development of TNT based contrast agents is expected to lead to smaller patient doses, increased T1 relaxation rates and increased product safety.The commercial application of this project is in the contrast agent segment of the MRI imaging market. If successful, this project could result in a significant expansion in MRI capability and usage, with the potential of developing new business on the order of $700 million per year.