Chen Qiyang, Yu Jaesok, Kim Kang
1Department of Medicine and Heart and Vascular Institute, Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA.
2Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA.
Biomed Eng Lett. 2018 May 12;8(2):223-229. doi: 10.1007/s13534-018-0069-0. eCollection 2018 May.
Optically-triggered phase-transition droplets have been introduced as a promising contrast agent for photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging that not only provide significantly enhanced contrast but also have potential as photoacoustic theranostic molecular probes incorporated with targeting molecules and therapeutics. For further understanding the dynamics of optical droplet vaporization process, an innovative, methodical analysis by concurrent acoustical and ultrafast optical recordings, comparing with a theoretical model has been employed. In addition, the repeatability of the droplet vaporization-recondensation process, which enables continuous photoacoustic imaging has been studied through the same approach. Further understanding the underlying physics of the optical droplet vaporization and associated dynamics may guide the optimal design of the droplets. Some innovative approaches in preclinical studies have been recently demonstrated, including sono-photoacoustic imaging, dual-modality of photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging, and super-resolution photoacoustic imaging. In this review, current development of optically triggered phase-transition droplets and understanding on the vaporization dynamics, their applications are introduced and future directions are discussed.
光触发相变液滴已被引入作为一种有前景的光声和超声成像造影剂，它不仅能显著增强对比度，还具有作为结合靶向分子和治疗剂的光声诊疗分子探针的潜力。为了进一步了解光液滴汽化过程的动力学，采用了一种创新的、系统的分析方法，通过同时进行声学和超快光学记录，并与理论模型进行比较。此外，还通过相同的方法研究了液滴汽化-再冷凝过程的可重复性，该过程能够实现连续光声成像。进一步了解光液滴汽化的潜在物理原理及其相关动力学，可能会指导液滴的优化设计。最近在临床前研究中展示了一些创新方法，包括声光成像、光声和超声成像的双模态以及超分辨率光声成像。在这篇综述中，介绍了光触发相变液滴的当前发展情况以及对汽化动力学的理解，讨论了它们的应用和未来方向。
