Title :
Fabrication of hydrogel particles with tantalum oxide nanoparticle payloads as computed tomography contrast agents
Author :
Wang, Xiongfei ; Wang, Chingyue ; Anderson, S. ; Zhang, Xiaobing
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Mech. Eng., Boston Univ., Boston, MA, USA
Abstract :
This paper reports the fabrication of hydrogel microparticles using a combined imprinting and photolithography (CIP) methods, with tantalum oxide (TaOx) nanoparticle payloads as X-ray attenuating media for size and shape specific computed tomography (CT) contrast agents. TaOx nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and characterized with superior X-ray attenuating properties compared to current iodine-based CT contrast agents. The CIP fabrication method eliminates the formation of a flash layer that connects individual particles, thereby avoiding the necessity of an additional etching step that could damage the hydrogel particles and/or the biological materials they may carry. The future potential of scaling this technique down to nanoscale, for fabricating hydrogel nanorods with controllable size, aspect ratio, and elasticity is also discussed, with some preliminary efforts reported.
Keywords :
computerised tomography; elasticity; hydrogels; nanobiotechnology; nanofabrication; nanolithography; nanoparticles; nanorods; photolithography; tantalum compounds; CIP method; X-ray attenuating media; aspect ratio; biological material; combined imprinting and photolithography; computed tomography contrast agent; controllable size; elasticity; hydrogel microparticle fabrication; hydrogel nanorod fabrication; nanoparticle payload; nanoparticles synthesis; Computed tomography; Energy states; Etching; Fabrication; Lithography; Nanoparticles; X-ray imaging; Hydrogel; computed tomography; contrast agents; nanoparticle; tantalum oxide; top-down fabrication;
Conference_Titel :
Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS & EUROSENSORS XXVII), 2013 Transducers & Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Barcelona
DOI :
10.1109/Transducers.2013.6626794