Deep tissue bio-imaging using two-photon excited CdTe fluorescent quantum dots working within the biological window

Nanoscale. 2012 Jan 7;4(1):298-302. doi: 10.1039/c1nr11285f. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Abstract

A new approach to deep tissue imaging is presented based on 8 nm CdTe semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). The characteristic 800 nm emission was found to be efficiently excited via two-photon absorption of 900 nm photons. The fact that both excitation and emission wavelengths lie within the "biological window" allows for high resolution fluorescence imaging at depths close to 2 mm. These penetration depths have been used to obtain the first deep tissue multiphoton excited fluorescence image based on CdTe-QDs. Due to the large thermal sensitivity of CdTe-QDs, one may envisage, in the near future, their use in high resolution deep-tissue thermal imaging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cadmium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Particle Size
  • Photons
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
  • Tellurium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Tellurium
  • cadmium telluride