US 11,754,652 B2
Systems and methods for polarized nuclear imaging and spectroscopy
Yuan Zheng, Fremont, CA (US); G. Wilson Miller, Charlottesville, VA (US); William A. Tobias, Charlottesville, VA (US); Gordon D. Cates, Gordonsville, VA (US); and David Anthony Keder, Woodbridge, VA (US)
Assigned to University of Virginia Patent Foundation, Charlottesville, VA (US)
Appl. No. 16/333,811
Filed by Yuan Zheng, Fremont, CA (US); G. Wilson Miller, Charlottesville, VA (US); William A. Tobias, Charlottesville, VA (US); Gordon D. Cates, Gordonsville, VA (US); and David Anthony Keder, Woodbridge, VA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 15, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/051767
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 15, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/053256, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 22, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/395,146, filed on Sep. 15, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0257904 A1, Aug. 22, 2019
Int. Cl. G01R 33/56 (2006.01); A61K 49/08 (2006.01); G01R 33/26 (2006.01); G01R 33/44 (2006.01); G01T 1/16 (2006.01); G01T 1/29 (2006.01); A61K 51/12 (2006.01); A61K 51/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/5601 (2013.01) [A61K 49/08 (2013.01); A61K 51/02 (2013.01); A61K 51/12 (2013.01); G01R 33/26 (2013.01); G01R 33/445 (2013.01); G01T 1/1603 (2013.01); G01T 1/29 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for examining a target area of interest of a living subject, comprising:
polarizing nuclei of a radioactive substance such that the spins of the nuclei are oriented in a specific direction, to generate a polarized radioactive tracer with anisotropic gamma ray emission, wherein the radioactive substance is selected such that a degree of anisotropy is enhanced;
introducing the polarized radioactive tracer into a living subject for delivery to a target area of interest in the subject, wherein the polarized radioactive tracer is delivered such that nuclear spin relaxation of the polarized radioactive tracer is inhibited during transport of the polarized radioactive tracer to the target area of interest;
detecting gamma rays from the anisotropic gamma ray emission; and
obtaining, from the detected gamma rays, at least one of imaging data and spectroscopic data associated with the tracer in the subject,
wherein delivering the polarized radioactive tracer to the target area of interest such that nuclear spin relaxation of the polarized radioactive tracer is inhibited during transport comprises:
encapsulating the polarized radioactive tracer in microbubbles or nanobubbles and transporting the polarized radioactive tracer while encapsulated in the responsive microbubbles or nanobubbles; or
embedding the polarized radioactive tracer in a nanoparticle and transporting the polarized radioactive tracer while embedded in the nanoparticle.