title: Microbubble embedded with upconversion  nanoparticles as a bimodal contrast agent  for fluorescence and ultrasound imaging.
abstract: Bimodal imaging offers additional imaging signal thus finds wide spread application in clinical diagnostic imaging. Fluorescence/ultrasound bimodal imaging contrast agent using fluorescent dyes or quantum dots for fluorescence signal has emerged as a promising method, which however requires visible light or UV irradiation resulting in photobleaching, photo blinking,auto-fluorescence and limited tissue penetration depth. To surmount these problems, we developed a novel bimodal contrast agent using layer-by-layer assembly of up conversion nanoparticles onto the surface of microbubbles. The resulting microbubbles with average size of 2 μm provide enhanced ultrasound echo for ultrasound imaging and upconversion emission upon near infrared irradiation for fluorescence imaging. The developed bimodal contrast agent holds great potential to be applied in ultrasound target technique for targeted diseases diagnostics and therapy.
authors.forename: Birui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yujin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Mingxi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhenfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Tianjian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D045423:Microbubbles; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010316:Particle Size; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013499:Surface Properties; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media