Clinical test system utilizing near infrared fluorescence of nanotubes

本课题的目的是建立以单壁碳纳米管（CNTs）为近红外荧光标记的免疫分析体系，并制作适合临床检测的新型近红外荧光检测装置，其中最重要的是CNTs与IgG抗体复合物的制备。由于碳纳米管独特的结构和性质，使得碳纳米管免疫球蛋白的制备过程中存在的许多问题得以解决，从而使碳纳米管免疫球蛋白的稳定制备成为可能。此外，我们成功地制作了手掌大小的近红外荧光检测装置，其灵敏度足以检测免疫分析中的CNT荧光。我们的研究结果将使开发新的临床测试系统使用碳纳米管作为近红外荧光标记。

The aims of this project are to establish the immunoassay system using single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a near infrared (NIR) fluorescence label and to make a new NIR fluorescence detection apparatus that is suitable for the clinical test uses.The most important issue to achieve our purpose was the preparation of complex of CNTs and IgG antibody. Many problems of this preparation which were mostly originated from the unique structures and properties of CNTs were solved, and, as a result, it became possible to make CNT-IgG stably. In addition, we have succeeded in making the palm-sized apparatus for the NIR fluorescence detection with sensitivity high enough to detect the CNTs fluorescence in the immunoassay. Our results will enable to develop new clinical test systems using CNTs as NIR fluorescence labels.