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Upconverting Nanoparticles as Optical Sensors of Nano- to Micro-Newton Forces.

ABSTRACT: Mechanical forces affect a myriad of processes, from bone growth to material fracture to touch-responsive robotics. While nano- to micro-Newton forces are prevalent at the microscopic scale, few methods have the nanoscopic size and signal stability to measure them in vivo or in situ. Here, we develop an optical force-sensing platform based on sub-25 nm NaYF4 nanoparticles (NPs) doped with Yb3+, Er3+, and Mn2+. The lanthanides Yb3+ and Er3+ enable both photoluminescence and upconversion, while the energetically coupled d-metal Mn2+ adds force tunability through its crystal field sensitivity. Using a diamond anvil cell to exert up to 3.5 GPa pressure or ?10 ?N force per particle, we track stress-induced spectral responses. The red (660 nm) to green (520, 540 nm) emission ratio varies linearly with pressure, yielding an observed color change from orange to red for ?-NaYF4 and from yellow-green to green for d-metal optimized ?-NaYF4 when illuminated in the near infrared. Consistent readouts are recorded over multiple pressure cycles and hours of illumination. With the nanoscopic size, a dynamic range of 100 nN to 10 ?N, and photostability, these nanoparticles lay the foundation for visualizing dynamic mechanical processes, such as stress propagation in materials and force signaling in organisms.

SUBMITTER: Lay A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6589185 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Upconverting Nanoparticles as Optical Sensors of Nano- to Micro-Newton Forces.

Lay Alice A Wang Derek S DS Wisser Michael D MD Mehlenbacher Randy D RD Lin Yu Y Goodman Miriam B MB Mao Wendy L WL Dionne Jennifer A JA

Nano letters 20170613 7

Mechanical forces affect a myriad of processes, from bone growth to material fracture to touch-responsive robotics. While nano- to micro-Newton forces are prevalent at the microscopic scale, few methods have the nanoscopic size and signal stability to measure them in vivo or in situ. Here, we develop an optical force-sensing platform based on sub-25 nm NaYF4 nanoparticles (NPs) doped with Yb3+, Er3+, and Mn2+. The lanthanides Yb3+ and Er<sup ...[more]

PMID: 28608687

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Project description:PurposeIntraoperative detection and removal of microscopic residual disease (MRD) remain critical to the outcome of cancer surgeries. Today's minimally invasive surgical procedures require miniaturization and surgical integration of highly sensitive imagers to seamlessly integrate into the modern clinical workflow. However, current intraoperative imagers remain cumbersome and still heavily dependent on large lenses and rigid filters, precluding further miniaturization and integration into surgical tools.ProceduresWe have successfully engineered a chip-scale intraoperative micro-imager array-without optical filters or lenses-integrated with lanthanide-based alloyed upconverting nanoparticles (aUCNPs) to achieve tissue imaging using a single micro-chip. This imaging platform is able to leverage the unique optical properties of aUCNPs (long luminescent lifetime, high-efficiency upconversion, no photobleaching) by utilizing a time-resolved imaging method to acquire images using a 36-by-80-pixel, 2.3 mm [Formula: see text] 4.8 mm silicon-based electronic imager micro-chip, that is, less than 100-µm thin. Each pixel incorporates a novel architecture enabling automated background measurement and cancellation. We have validated the performance, spatial resolution, and the background cancellation scheme of the imaging platform, using resolution test targets and mouse prostate tumor sample intratumorally injected with aUCNPs. To demonstrate the ability to image MRD, or tumor margins, we evaluated the imaging platform in visualizing a single-cell thin section of the injected prostate tumor sample.ResultsTested on USAF resolution targets, the imager is able to achieve a resolution of 71 µm. We have also demonstrated successful background cancellation, achieving a signal-to-background ratio of 8 when performing ex vivo imaging on aUCNP-injected prostate tumor sample, improved from originally 0.4. The performance of the imaging platform on single-cell layer sections was also evaluated and the sensor achieved a signal-to-background ratio of 4.3 in resolving cell clusters with sizes as low as 200 cells.ConclusionThe imaging system proposed here is a scalable chip-scale ultra-thin alternative for bulky conventional intraoperative imagers. Its novel pixel architecture and background correction scheme enable visualization of microscopic-scale residual disease while remaining completely free of lenses and filters, achieving an ultra-miniaturized form factor-critical for intraoperative settings.

Dataset Information

Upconverting Nanoparticles as Optical Sensors of Nano- to Micro-Newton Forces.

Publications

Upconverting Nanoparticles as Optical Sensors of Nano- to Micro-Newton Forces.

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