Multifunctional infrared-emitting composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814017-B2
Application number	US-201916378792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	May 5, 2011
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of non-invasive infrared imaging, comprising (a) administering a composition containing infrared-emitting particles which contain rare earth elements that emit in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectrum, where the particles are encapsulated with a biocompatible matrix to form downconverting encapsulated particles; and (b) irradiating with infrared radiation, where both excitation and emission spectra of the encapsulated particles are in the infrared region. Analogous methods of image-guided biomedical intervention, and drug tracking and delivery are also disclosed. Also disclosed is a composition for biomedical applications, containing infrared-emitting particles which contain rare earth-elements that emit in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectrum, where the particles are encapsulated with a biocompatible matrix to form downconverting encapsulated particles.

First claim

We claim:

1. A composition for biomedical applications, comprising a plurality of infrared-emitting particles comprising rare earth-elements that emit in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectrum, wherein said infrared-emitting particles are directly encapsulated with a shell comprising one or more of polypeptides, polysaccharides, and biocompatible polymers, to form spherical downconverting microcapsules comprising a plurality of said infrared-emitting particles, wherein said infrared-emitting particles have a size between 2 nm and 10 micrometers, wherein said microcapsules have a capsule size between 10 nm and 100 micrometers, and wherein said infrared-emitting particles have a relative size permitting the plurality of infrared-emitting particles to be loaded into said microcapsules.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more of the polypeptides, polysaccharides and biocompatible polymers of said shell is selected from the group consisting of poly-L-lysine, poly-D-lysine, polyethylene glycol, poly-2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(amidoamine), polyethyleneimine, poly lactic acid, polycaprolactone, dextran, alginates, chitosan, transferrin, collagenase and gelatin.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said shell comprises the biocompatible polymer polyethyleneimine.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said shell further comprises a pharmaceutical agent.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said shell further comprises one or more targeting molecules which direct said encapsulated infrared-emitting particles to a biological target.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles comprise CeF 3 doped with one or more rare earth elements selected from the group consisting of Yb, Nd, Tm, Er, Pr, Dy and Ho.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles further comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, and Lu.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles are a factor of about 10 or more smaller than said microcapsules.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the infrared-emitting particles loading in said microcapsules ranges from 0.004 wt % to 94 wt %.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the infrared-emitting particles loading in said microcapsules ranges from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt %.

11. A method of non-invasive infrared imaging of a biological object, comprising the steps of:
(a) administering to a biological object the composition of claim 1 ;
(b) irradiating said biological object with infrared radiation; and
(c) capturing infrared emission spectral images of said encapsulated infrared-emitting particles in said biological object;
wherein both excitation and emission spectra of the encapsulated infrared-emitting particles are in the infrared region.

12. A method of drug tracking and delivery in a biological object, comprising the non-invasive infrared imaging method of claim 11 wherein said composition further comprises a drug.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said shell further comprises a pharmaceutical agent.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said shell further comprises one or more targeting molecules which direct said encapsulated infrared-emitting particles to a biological target.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles comprise CeF 3 doped with one or more rare earth elements selected from the group consisting of Yb, Nd, Tm, Er, Pr, Dy and Ho.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles further comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, and Lu.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said microcapsules have a capsule size between 10 nm and 300 nm.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein said microcapsules have a capsule size between 100 nm and 300 nm.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein said infrared-emitting particles are a factor of about 10 or more smaller than said microcapsules.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the infrared-emitting particle loading in said microcapsules ranges from 0.004 wt % to 94 wt %.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the infrared-emitting particle loading in said microcapsules ranges from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt %.

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Naczynski Dominik J
• Tan Mei-Chee
• Riman Richard E
• Roth Charles
• Moghe Prabhas V

Classifications

• A61B6/5247

  combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound · CPC title

• A61K49/0019

  characterised by the fluorescent group, e.g. oligomeric, polymeric or dendritic molecules · CPC title

• A61K49/0093

  Nanoparticle, nanocapsule, nanobubble, nanosphere, nanobead, i.e. having a size or diameter smaller than 1 micrometer, e.g. polymeric nanoparticle · CPC title

• A61B6/481

  involving the use of contrast agents · CPC title

• A61B5/0075

  by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence) · CPC title