Medical Imaging

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Inventors at Vanderbilt University have developed a novel chemical design and synthesis process for azulene-based COX2 contrast agents which can be used for molecular imaging, via a variety of imaging techniques. These COX2 probes can be utilized for numerous applications, including imaging cancers and inflammation caused by arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. The process for developing these COX2 contrast agents has been significantly improved through a convergent synthesis process which reduces the required steps to establish the COX2 precursors.

Vanderbilt researchers have developed heterogeneous catalysis and catalyst for the NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) hyperpolarization process. Coupled with the researchers' development of a method to perform SABRE in aqueous solutions, this discovery could allow fully biocompatible SABRE hyperpolarization processes in water with catalyst recycling. This would allow the production of pure aqueous contrast agents requiring only parahydrogen as a consumable.

A flexible endoscope for ophthalmic orbital surgery is presented. The endoscope has illuminating fiber, image fiber and a free conduit to deliver purge gas/fluid in addition to instruments such as ablation instruments, coagulating instrument or a medication delivery instrument.

This technology relates to a device and method for non-invasive evaluation of a target of interest of a living subject, and in particular to devices and methods that integrate confocal imaging with confocal Raman spectroscopy, for non-invasive evaluation of the biochemical compositions and morphological details of normal and cancerous skin lesions of a living subject.