Targeted Deep-Tissue Photo-Acoustic Microscopy with SPION Nanoparticles

Targeted Deep-Tissue Photo-Acoustic Microscopy with SPION Nanoparticles

BAP — Higher Education   2023 – 2024   ·   Principal Investigator

The project explores targeted photo-acoustic microscopy using superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPION) to enable high-contrast, deep-tissue biomedical imaging.

Photo-acoustic imaging combines optical absorption contrast with ultrasonic detection, providing penetration depths well beyond those of pure optical microscopy. By functionalising SPION probes for tumour and inflammation targeting, the system aims to deliver clinically meaningful imaging at depths suitable for in-vivo and ex-vivo investigation.

The work investigates probe synthesis, photo-acoustic signal modelling, and the instrumentation needed for clinically relevant imaging depths. Results feed into ASIL’s broader portfolio on multimodal biomedical imaging, complementing the holographic and acousto-holographic platforms developed for cell-stiffness mapping and assisted reproductive technologies.

Funder: Yıldız Technical University BAP — Higher Education Institutions Support (Guided). Project period: 2023–2024.