Ultrasound-activatable, nanoparticle-tagged perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets were developed for medical imaging. Silica-coated QD nanoparticles were dispersed in PFCs and subsequently emulsified to form sub-micron, nanoparticle-tagged PFC droplets in water. Fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm that the nanoparticle-tagged PFC droplets successfully labeled live macrophage cells in vitro. The nanoparticle-tagged PFC droplets were activated to disperse the nanoparticles using an ultrasound beam, which converted the droplets to gas bubbles that were rapidly driven to collapse. At ultrasound exposure pressures greater than 1.7MPa, the activation of the PFC droplets in the cells resulted in a >90% decrease in the total cell count of PFC-loaded cells. This work reveals the potential of using ultrasound-activatable PFC constructs containing medical nanoparticles to image and treat diseased cells in vivo with ultrasound.
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