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Microscopic organic
medical imaging devices
Scientists at the University of Nottingham
in the UK are developing microscopic
organic medical imaging systems to
support a new generation of breakthrough
treatments for currently incurable diseases
and chronic life-threatening illnesses.
The nano-transducers, made from fat
found in the membrane of naturally occurring
biological cells, could have a whole
range of medical applications, including
the potential to detect tumours earlier,
monitoring electrical activity in the brain
and tracking individual cells as they move
around the human body.
“This research is very exciting as it paves
the way for the development of tiny transducers
that could be used in the human
body without any risk of toxicity,” said Dr
Melissa Mather, who is leading the
research.
“There is a growing need for
sophisticated new imaging
systems capable of studying cells
and tissues in the body to support the
development of emerging treatments
that use human cells to treat conditions
such as Parkinson’s disease and spinal
injury, as well as chronic conditions such
as diabetes or heart disease.
“The hope is that by introducing new
healthy cells into the body they will help
to restore the function of injured or
diseased cells. But to ensure these therapies
have a positive effect, it is important
that the location and behaviour of introduced
cells are tracked once in the body.
This is a challenging problem which
current technologies are struggling to
address.”
To support the work, Dr Mather,
based in the University’s Institute of
Biophysics, Imaging and Optical
Sciences, has received a Career
Acceleration Fellowship from the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council that will provide
funding of more than £730,000 (about
US$1.15 million) over the next five years.
Nanoscale
Transducers are devices, traditionally made
from single crystals such as quartz or
ceramics, which can convert energy, such
as electrical to mechanical. They are used
as a method of testing in a wide range of
applications, from locating cracks in metal
structures to diagnosing diseases in
humans.
Scientists have recently discovered that
a wider range of materials can be used to
make transducers than previously thought
if they are miniaturised down to the
nanoscale. In fact, it has been shown that
the natural electrical activity of the body
can be harnessed in biological
membranes and converted into mechanical
energy.
Dr Mather’s fellowship is centred on
the design and manufacture of nanosized
transducers made from phospholipids, the main type of fat
found in the membrane of biological cells.
A key part of this will be forming the phospholipids
into bubbles called liposomes to
take advantage of their acoustic properties
– a crucial element for using transducers as
a means for testing. The research will look
at different ways of increasing the power of
the acoustic signal produced by modifying
the composition, shape and size of the
liposome.
These transducers will be used to
develop a biological micro imaging system
that will be able to produce diagnostic
images of the body. By tagging the liposomes
with specific biological molecules,
the transducers will also be able to target
certain cell types, enabling them to act as
beacons to locate cells in the body.
The final part of the research will
focus on testing the capabilities of
the new imaging system on
tissue phantoms
that mimic
the human
body, particularly
in detecting tumours,
monitoring electrical activity in
the brain and tracking cells used in
therapies. The aim is to have a
working prototype of
the system by 2016.
Dr Mather added:
“The success of this
work could hail a new
type of organic medical imaging technology
that could easily be used in a clinical
setting at the point of care. This would
have a significant impact in healthcare
and enable new therapies to become available
for clinical use and contribute to the
health and wealth of society.” 
Date of upload: 21st Jan 2012
