High sensitivity of in vivo detection of gold nanorods using a laser optoacoustic imaging system

The development of a contrast agent for a laser optoacoustic imaging system (LOIS) can significantly widen preclinical and clinical applications of this imaging modality for early detection of cancerous tumors. Gold nanorods were engineered to enhance the contrast for optoacoustic imaging. Under in vivo conditions, 25 mu L of gold nanorods solution at a concentration of 1.25 pM were injected into nude mice and detected using a single-channel acoustic transducer. LOIS was used to visualize the distribution of gold nanoparticles at a concentration of 125 pM in vivo when 100 mu L of solution of gold nanoparticles was delivered subcutaneously. Our results suggest that LOIS can be used for in vivo detection of gold nanorods at low concentrations and the nanoparticles can be engineered to enhance the diagnostic power of optoacoustic imaging.