Texas A&M University System

The University of Texas System

Purdue Research Foundation

Baylor College of Medicine

Eva M Sevick-Muraca

Zhigang Sun

John C Rasmussen

Ruchi Sharma

Jeffery S Reynolds

Nathaniel L Wilganowski

Huabei Jiang

Ali Azhdarinia

Yingqing Huang

Banghe Zhu

Kristen Adams

Sukhen C Ghosh

Joseph Earl Pierce

Barrett R Harvey

Tamara L Troy

Amit Joshi

Michael Gurfinkel

Alan B Thompson

Ali Azhdarina

Roy Ranadhir

Steven Richter

I-Chih Tan

Rajesh Shinde

Ganesh Balgi

Jeffrey Kao

Ralf H Mayer

Tianshu Pan

Jeffery Kao

Kenneth L Pinkston

Joseph Pierce

Wei Wang

Dilip Y Paithankar

Ranadhir Roy

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides compositions comprising an N4-based MMC ligand, a cell targeting group, and a fluorophore or a therapeutic compound comprising a formula: wherein the variables are as defined herein. In some embodiments, these compositions may be used in the imaging techniques or in the treatment of a disease or disorder such as cancer.

Multifunctional linker technology containing an N4 group

A system and method for intraoperative fluorescence imaging. A system for intraoperative fluorescence imaging includes a visible light source, a laser light source, a visible light image detector, a fluorescence image detector, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, and an image processing system. The RF circuitry is coupled to the laser light source and the fluorescence image detector. The RF circuitry is configured to modulate laser light generated by the laser source, and modulate an intensifier of the fluorescence image detector. The image processing system is coupled to the visible light image detector and the fluorescence image detector. The image processing system is configured to merge a fluorescence image produced by the fluorescence image detector and a visible light image produced by the visible light image detector to generate an intraoperative image showing an outline of a region of interest identified in the fluorescence image overlaid on the visible light image.

System and method for intraoperative fluorescence imaging in ambient light

Embodiments of the invention provide high affinity recombinant EpCAM-binding antibodies. Methods of using a such antibodies as imaging agents, diagnostics and therapeutics are also provided. Dual-nuclear and fluorescently labeled or singly fluorescently labeled contrast agents promise the advantage of molecularly-guided surgical resection via surgical field near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging following (in the case of dual labeled agents) nuclear imaging for general localization. Currently, nodal staging of most cancers is performed following lymph node (LN) biopsy and dissection for subsequent pathological examination.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting EpCAM for detection of prostate cancer lymph node metastases

Methods and compositions are provided and include the construction of a simple solid phantom and a measurement approach for the quantification of excitation light leakage and measurement sensitivity of fluorescence imaging devices.

Methods and compositions for validation of fluorescence imaging and tomography devices

Novel methods and imaging agents for functional imaging of lymph structures are disclosed herein. Embodiments of the methods utilize highly sensitive optical imaging and fluorescent spectroscopy techniques to track or monitor packets of organic dye flowing in one or more lymphatic structures. The packets of organic dye may be tracked to provide quantitative information regarding lymph propulsion and function. In particular, lymph flow velocity and pulse frequency may be determined using the disclosed methods.

Method of measuring propulsion in lymphatic structures

A method and system for non-contact fluorescent optical tomography using patterned illumination is disclosed. The method comprises illuminating a surface of a medium with light from at least one excitation light source to project at least two patterns. Each pattern comprises at least one motif, wherein the medium comprises at least one fluorescent target. The method further comprises for each pattern, measuring excitation light reflected from the medium to generate an excitation data set. In addition, the method comprises, for each pattern, measuring fluorescence emitted from the at least one fluorescent target to generate a fluorescence data set. The method also comprises generating a 3D image of the at least one fluorescent target in the medium by applying iterative algorithm. The iterative algorithm minimizes the difference between a predicted data set based on a mathematical model, and each excitation data set and each fluorescence data set.

Method and system for non-contact fluorescence optical tomography with patterned illumination

Novel imaging agents targeted to a lymph vascular cell receptor and a hyaluranon cell receptor are disclosed. The disclosed imaging agents incorporate biological molecules such as hyaluronic acid which bind to the receptors. Lymph vascular cell receptor expression may be related to the beginnings of tumor formation. As such, embodiments of the imaging agents may be used to stain lymph structures for detailed imaging of lymph architecture as well as serving as potential markers for tumor angiogenesis, tumor metastases, etc.

Imaging agents for functional imaging of lymphatic structures

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for detecting lymph nodes in a human includes introducing a fluorescent contrast agent into a lymph node system of a body, directing near-infrared time-varying excitation light into the tissue of the body, causing the near-infrared time-varying excitation light to contact a lymph node of the lymphatic system, whereby a redshifted and time-varying emission light is generated, detecting the time-varying emission light at a surface of the body, filtering the time-varying emission light to reject excitation light re-emitted from the lymph node, and imaging the lymph node of the lymphatic system.

Method and system for detecting sentinel lymph nodes

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for biomedical imaging includes directing time-varying excitation light at a surface area of a light scattering material, the material comprising a fluorescent target. Time-varying emission light from the fluorescent target is detected, substantially at a two-dimensional sensor surface, in response to the time-varying excitation light stimulating the fluorescent target. The time-varying emission light is filtered to reject excitation light re-emitted from the material. A three-dimensional image of the fluorescent target is generated based on the detection substantially at the sensor surface.

Method and system for near-infrared fluorescence contrast-enhanced imaging with area illumination and area detection

A system and method for non-invasive biomedical optical imaging and spectroscopy with low-level light is described. The technique includes a modulated light source coupled to tissue to introduce excitation light. Fluorescent light emitted in response to the excitation light is detected with a sensor. The AC intensity and phase of the excitation and detected fluorescent light is provided to a processor operatively coupled to the sensor. A processor employs the measured emission kinetics of excitation and fluorescent light to 'map' the spatial variation of one or more fluorescence characteristics of the tissue and generate a corresponding image of the tissue via an output device. The fluorescence characteristic may be provided by exogenous contrast agents, endogenous fluorophores, or both. A technique to select or design an exogenous fluorescent contrast agent to improve image contrast is also disclosed.

Imaging of light scattering tissues with fluorescent contrast agents

Methods are provided for measuring isotropic scattering coefficients of suspensions using multiply scattered radiation that is modulated in amplitude at selected modulation frequencies. The radiation may be light. Quantities describing diffusion of the multiply scattered radiation are preferably measured at a plurality of distances between source and receiver and a plurality of frequencies. Linear regression techniques are provided for maximizing accuracy of the scattering data at a selected wavelength of a radiation. Methods are provided for inversing an integral equation so as to determine a calculated value of scattering coefficient. Parameters are varied to minimize the difference between the calculated and measured scattering coefficients and thereby to determine volume fraction, particle size distribution and interparticle force between the particles in a suspension. By incorporating a first principles model to account for interparticle force, the measurements can be used to determine a parameter governing interparticle forces in a suspension. The suspension may be in a liquid or a gas.

Method for characterising particles in suspension from frequency domain photon migration measurements

A system () and method are disclosed for the self-calibrating, on-line determination of size distribution f(x) and volume fraction &#x3c6; of a number of particles (P) dispersed in a medium () by detecting one or more propagation characteristics of multiply scattered light from the particles (P). The multiply scattered light is re-emitted in response to exposure to a light source () configured to provide light at selected wavelengths. The determination includes calculating the isotropic scattering and absorption coefficients for the particles (P) by comparing the incident and detected light to determine a measurement corresponding to the propagation time through the scattering medium (), and iteratively estimating the size distribution f(x) and volume fraction &#x3c6; as a function of the coefficients for each of the wavelengths. An estimation approach based on an expected form of the distribution and the mass of the particles is also disclosed. Furthermore, techniques to determine a particle structure factor indicative of particle-to-particle interactions which vary with particle concentration and influence light scattering at high concentrations is disclosed.

Particle analysis system and method

A system () of the present invention includes light source instrumentation () to selectively illuminate a light scattering medium including a luminophore and detection instrumentation () to detect multiply scattered light output from the medium in response to illumination by the light source instrumentation (). A processor () is operatively coupled to the detection instrumentation () to determine a first optical characterization of the medium from a first multiply scattered light output of a first illumination light wavelength and a second optical characterization of the medium from a second multiply scattered light output of a second illumination light wavelength different than the first illumination light wavelength. The processor () is operable to calculate lifetime of the luminophore from the first optical characterization, the second optical characterization, and a multiply scattered emission of the luminophore from the medium in response to excitation.

Growing community of inventors

College Station, TX, United States of America

Eva M Sevick-Muraca