Gold nanoshells aided optical imaging in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo

Scatter-based optical imaging technologies such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM) offer a unique non-invasive approach to the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer. In this article, we describe the use of targeted NIRtuned gold nanoshell for imaging in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Nanoshells are a new class of optically active nanoparticles with tunable plasmon resonances based on geometric construction. These particles can be easily tuned to absorb or scatter strongly within the wavelengths of 6501300 nm, known as the near infrared region. This region is of significant biological importance providing a therapeutic window and imaging applications in tissue as the primary components of tissue, blood and water, do not have significant absorption coefficients in this range of wavelengths.