Novel Nanorods for High Efficiency Medical Imaging Applications

描述（由申请人提供）：该II期SBIR提案旨在继续开发和商业化基于最近开发的核/壳纳米棒（NR）和纳米四足体（nt）结构的新型高性能x射线成像屏幕。这些多维纳米晶（NC）结构可以很容易地高密度嵌入透明聚合物基质中。它们将在数字放射照相、乳房x线照相术、断层扫描、蛋白质晶体学以及各种大面积辐射成像和检测应用中有广泛的应用，这在使用传统闪烁体之前是不可能的。第一阶段的目标已经成功实现，我们已经证明了高空间分辨率、非常快的时间响应、无余辉、无自吸收和良好的x射线转换效率的潜力。该纳米复合闪烁体由phosptech和辐射监测设备（RMD）独立制备和测试，并在多个方面优于传统的有机和无机体闪烁体。在第二阶段，我们的计划是继续完善这些NC结构和相关的筛选/生长技术，并证明它们在分辨率，检测面积，增益和生产成本方面优于单晶x射线闪烁体的能力。这将通过创建具有最佳长度和窄尺寸分布的nc来实现，然后将它们结合到聚合物复合材料中，这些复合材料以高填充密度有序排列这种结构。有序的NC排列，将通过完善的低成本的基于解决方案的自组装技术来实现，将大大增强x射线吸收，并促进光通过聚合物基质到电子传感器的通道。使用这种方法，可以在聚合物基质中获得非常长的（几十微米）垂直排列的NC， NC之间的间距（可以作为光通道）只有几纳米，而不是传统CsI和其他单晶（或散装粉末）闪烁结构提供的微米间距限制。与传统的块状和单晶材料相比，这些系统中采用的低成本溶液处理方法也将使大面积和高分辨率的闪烁体大大降低成本。综上所述，这些新型的基于nc的薄膜将在各种类型的辐射检测设备和其他生物医学成像应用中有重要的应用，提高它们对美国国立卫生研究院以及整个分子生物学和医学界的价值。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase II SBIR proposal aims at the continued development and commercialization of a new class of high-performance X-ray imaging screens based on the recently developed core/shell nanorod (NR) and nano-tetrapods (NTs) structures. These multi-dimensional nanocrystalline (NC) structures can be easily embedded with high densities in transparent polymer matrices. They will have wide ranging applications in digital radiography, mammography, tomography, protein crystallography, as well as a various large-area radiation imaging and detection applications, never before possible using conventional scintillators. The goals of Phase I were successfully achieved and we have demonstrated the potential for high spatial resolution, very fast time response, no afterglow, no self-absorption, and good X-ray conversion efficiency. The nano- composite scintillators were prepared and tested independently by both PhosphorTech and Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD) and have outperformed conventional organic and inorganic bulk scintillators on several fronts. During Phase II, our plan is to continue refining these NC structures and related screening/growth techniques and demonstrate their ability to outperform even single crystal X-ray scintillators in terms of resolution, detection area, gain, and production cost. This will be achieved by creating NCs with optimal lengths and narrow size distribution and then incorporating them into polymer composites containing orderly arrangement of such structures at high packing densities. The orderly NC arrangement, which will be achieved by well-established low-cost solution-based self-assembly techniques, will dramatically enhance X-ray absorption and facilitate light channeling through the polymer matrix to the electronic sensors. Using such methods, it is possible to attain very long (tens of microns) vertically aligned NCs in a polymer matrix with inter- NC spacings (that can act as light channels) of only few nanometers, as opposed to the micron spacing limitations provided by conventional CsI and other single crystal (or bulk powder) scintillating structures. The low-cost solution processing methods employed in these systems will also enable both large-area and high resolution scintillators with significant cost reduction compared to conventional bulk and single crystal materials. In summary, these novel NC-based films will have significant applications in various types of radiation detection devices, and other biomedical imaging applications, enhancing their value to the NIH and to the molecular biology and medical communities as a whole.