Optoacoustic imaging of gold nanorod based photothermal therapy

Gold Nanorod Photothermal Therapy (GNR-PTT) is a minimally invasive technique and an alternative to surgery for destroying tumors while sparing normal tissues. Gold Nanorods (GNRs) with strong extinction peaks in the near infra-red (NIR) spectrum is a good candidate to convert light into thermal energy to destroy tumors. Opto-acoustic imaging (OAI) is a non-invasive method that detects time-resolved acoustic waves created by short pulses of NIR in tissue. It leads to a pressure rise in the irradiated volume. The question of whether OAI is a suitable candidate for temperature monitoring of GNR-PTT in the NIR spectrum was examined. In this thesis, for the first time, GNRs in a gel phantom was used to monitor the temperature during PTT with different laser powers and GNR concentrations. The imaging was performed by a commercial device IMAGIO, Seno, TX. The results show changes of the OA signal follow to temperature changes. The concentration of GNR and the power have a significant role in producing good results.