Non-invasive energy upconversion methods and systems for in-situ photobiomodulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10493296-B2
Application number	US-201615045524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Nov 6, 2007
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Products, compositions, systems, and methods for modifying a target structure which mediates or is associated with a biological activity, including treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases mediated by or associated with a target structure, such as a virus, cell, subcellular structure or extracellular structure. The methods may be performed in situ in a non-invasive manner by placing a nanoparticle having a metallic shell on at least a fraction of a surface in a vicinity of a target structure in a subject and applying an initiation energy to a subject thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure directly or via a modulation agent. The nanoparticle is configured, upon exposure to a first wavelength λ1, to generate a second wavelength λ2 of radiation having a higher energy than the first wavelength λ1. The methods may further be performed by application of an initiation energy to a subject in situ to activate a pharmaceutical agent directly or via an energy modulation agent, optionally in the presence of one or more plasmonics active agents, thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure. Kits containing products or compositions formulated or configured and systems for use in practicing these methods.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for modifying a target structure which mediates or is associated with a biological activity, the method comprising:
placing a nanoparticle in a vicinity of a target structure in a subject; and
applying an initiation energy including a first wavelength λ 1 from an initiation energy source to the subject such that the nanoparticle upon exposure to the first wavelength λ 1 emits light including a second wavelength λ 2 , in the vicinity of or into the target structure, wherein the second wavelength λ 2 has a higher energy than the first wavelength λ 1 ,
wherein the emitted light including the second wavelength λ 2 directly or indirectly contacts the target structure and induces a predetermined change in the target structure in situ,
wherein said predetermined change modifies the target structure and modulates the biological activity of the target structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the nanoparticle comprises a metallic structure deposited in relation to the nanoparticle, and
a physical characteristic of the metallic structure is set to a value so that a surface plasmon resonance in the metallic structure resonates at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with at least one the first wavelength λ 1 and the second wavelength λ 2 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises a dielectric core.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of a spherical or elliptical shell covering at least a part of said dielectric core.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of shell selected from the group consisting of a spherical shell, an oblate shell, a crescent shell, and a multilayer shell.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd, Co, Ru, Rh, Al, Ga, and alloys or layers thereof.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticle has at least one of:
a dielectric or semiconductor configured to generated said wavelength λ 2 ; or
multiple dielectrics or semiconductors respectively configured to emit at different wavelengths for λ 2 .

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of a spherical and elliptical shell covering at least a part of said dielectric or semiconductor.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises a metallic shell encapsulating at least a fraction of the nanoparticle.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a conducting material including at least one metal, a doped glass, and a doped semiconductor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the conducting material comprises at least one elemental metal, an alloy of the element metal, or layers of the conducting materials.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the nanoparticle comprises a sub 1000 nm dielectric particle;
the dielectric particle comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of Y 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 2 S, NaYF 4 , NaYbF 4 , YAG, YAP, Nd 2 O 3 , LaF 3 , LaCl 3 , La 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , LuPO 4 , YVO 4 , YbF 3 , YF 3 , Na-doped YbF 3 , SiO 2 and alloys or layers thereof;
the dielectric particle comprises a dopant comprising Er, Eu, Yb, Tm, Nd, Tb, Ce, Y, U, Pr, La, Gd or other rare-earth species or a combination thereof;
the dopant has a concentration of 0.01%-50% by mole; and
the metallic structure includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd, Co, Ru, Rh, Al, Ga, and alloys or layers thereof.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of:
a metallic shell encapsulating at least a fraction of the nanoparticle in the metallic shell and wherein a conductivity, a radial dimension, a crystalline state, or a shape of the metallic shell sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic structure to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with either the first wavelength λ 1 or the second wavelength λ 2 ;
at least one of a metallic particle sphere, spheroid, rod, cube, triangle, pyramid, pillar, crescent, tetrahedral shape, star or combination thereof disposed adjacent said nanoparticle and wherein a conductivity, a dimension, or a crystalline state of the metallic particle or rod sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic particle or rod to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with either the first wavelength λ 1 or the second wavelength λ 2 ; or
at least one of a metallic particle, sphere, spheroid, rod, cube, triangle, pyramid, pillar, crescent, tetrahedral shape, star or combination thereof disposed interior to said nanoparticle and wherein a conductivity or a dimension of the metallic particle or rod sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic particle or rod to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with either the first wavelength λ 1 or the second wavelength λ 2 .

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of:
a metallic shell encapsulating at least a fraction of the nanoparticle in the metallic shell and wherein a conductivity, a radial dimension, a crystalline state, or a shape of the metallic shell sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic structure to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with both the first wavelength λ 1 and the second wavelength λ 2 ;
at least one of a metallic particle sphere, spheroid, rod, cube, triangle, pyramid, pillar, crescent, tetrahedral shape, star or combination thereof disposed adjacent said nanoparticle and wherein a conductivity, a dimension, a crystalline state of the metallic particle or rod or sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic particle or rod to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with both the first wavelength λ 1 and the second wavelength λ 2 ; or
at least one of a metallic particle, sphere, spheroid, rod, cube, triangle, pyramid, pillar, crescent, tetrahedral shape, star or combination thereof disposed interior to said nanoparticle and wherein a conductivity or a dimension of the metallic particle or rod sets said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic particle or rod to resonate at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with both the first wavelength λ 1 and the second wavelength λ 2 .

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metallic structure comprises an alloy of two or more metals.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the alloy has a composition between the two or more metals set to a compositional value where said surface plasmon resonance in the metallic alloy structure spectrally overlaps the second wavelength λ 2 .

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metallic structure comprises at least one of an Au:Ag alloy, an Pt:Ag alloy, and an Pt:Au alloy.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metallic structure has an alloy content set to provide said surface plasmon resonance at 365 nm.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the Au:Ag alloy has a silver concentration of from 65 to 75%.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the silver concentration is 67%.

21. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises a dielectric material having energetic states for absorption of the first wavelength λ 1 and recombination states for emission of the second wavelength λ 2 .

Assignees

• Immunolight Llc
• Univ Duke

Inventors

• Vo-Dinh Tuan
• Scaffidi Jonathan P
• Chada Venkata Gopal Reddy
• Lauly Benoit
• Zhang Yan
• Gregas Molly K
• Stanton Ian Nicholas
• Stecher Joshua T
• Therien Michael J
• Bourke Jr Frederic A
• Walder Harold
• Fathi Zak
• Ayres Jennifer A
• Zhang Zhenyuan
• Simmons Joseph H
• Norton Stephen John

Classifications

• A61P43/00

  Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00 · CPC title

• A61P37/06

  Immunosuppressants, e.g. drugs for graft rejection · CPC title

• A61P37/02

  Immunomodulators · CPC title

• A61P9/14

  Vasoprotectives; Antihaemorrhoidals; Drugs for varicose therapy; Capillary stabilisers · CPC title

• A61P9/10

  for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis · CPC title