SBIR Phase II: Spatially-Resolved Swept-Laser Spectroscopic System for Gold Nanoparticle Sensing

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目是开发一种基于光谱扫描源光学相干断层扫描（S-SSOCT）和金纳米粒子作为1060nm光谱区域生物传感器的空间分辨生物传感技术。该系统将推进病变组织的对比度增强分子成像。该项目将探索成像应用的几种对比剂，其中包括；从传统的荧光和吸收染料，到最新的半导体量子点和金属纳米粒子。最近设计的金纳米颗粒具有优异的光散射和吸收特性以及长期稳定性，当与抗体结合时，可以实现各种疾病的高对比度分子和细胞成像。生物技术和纳米技术的进步将大大受益于通过造影剂在分子和细胞水平上对疾病进行空间分辨和敏感成像的能力。该项目的一个预期成果是使跟踪药物的有效性、治疗疾病、监测对治疗的反应以及提供治疗和诊断过程的新配对成为可能。该项目的一个特别目标是通过开发一种高速、高分辨率的生物医学成像方式，利用金纳米颗粒作为生物共轭传感器，来推进癌症诊断技术。这个市场是由各种成像方法（光学、核和磁）和新型成像剂之间的协同作用驱动的。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a spatially-resolved bio-sensing technology based on spectroscopic swept-source optical coherence tomography (S-SSOCT) and gold nanoparticles as bio-sensors at 1060nm spectral region. The proposed system will advance contrast-enhanced molecular imaging of diseased tissue. The project will explore several contrasting agents for imaging applications, among these are; the traditional florescence and absorption dyes, to the latest semiconductor quantum dots and metallic nanoparticles. The recently engineered gold nanoparticles possess superior light scattering and absorbing characteristics as well as long-term stability, and when bound to antibodies, can enable high-contrast molecular and cellular imaging of various diseases. The advancement of biotechnology and nanotechnology will benefit greatly from the ability to perform spatially-resolved and sensitive imaging of diseases in molecular and cellular levels through contrast enhancing agents. One expected outcome of this project is to make it possible to track the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, treat disease, monitor responses to therapies, as well as to provide novel pairing of therapeutic and diagnostic processes. A particular goal of this project is to advance cancer diagnostic technology by developing a high-speed, high-resolution bio-medical imaging modality using gold nanoparticle as bio-conjugated sensors. This market is driven by synergy between various imaging methods (optical, nuclear, and magnetic) and new types of imaging agents.