Silicon-vacancy-doped nanodiamonds for molecular and cellular imaging
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- exposing a biological environment to illumination from a light source in a wearable device, wherein the illumination comprises excitation light having a wavelength between 1050 and 1200 nanometers, wherein silicon-vacancy nanodiamonds have been introduced into the biological environment, wherein each of the silicon-vacancy nanodiamonds has at least one silicon vacancy center and is functionalized to selectively interact with an analyte in the biological environment, and wherein the excitation light is absorbed by the silicon vacancy centers through two-photon absorption and causes the silicon vacancy centers to emit light in a band of wavelengths centered at approximately 738 nanometers and having a full width at half-maximum of less than 15 nanometers; and
detecting, by a light sensor in the wearable device, one or more properties of the light emitted by the silicon vacancy centers in response to the excitation light.
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Abstract
An imaging agent for detecting analytes in a biological environment includes functionalized, silicon vacancy center-containing nanodiamonds. Individual nanodiamonds of the imaging agent include at least one silicon vacancy center. The at least one silicon vacancy center can emit light having a wavelength in a narrow band in response to illumination having any wavelength in a wide range of wavelengths. The nanodiamonds are functionalized to selectively interact with an analyte of interest. The nanodiamonds can additionally include other color centers, and the imaging agent can include a plurality of sets of nanodiamonds having detectably unique ratios of silicon vacancy centers to other color centers. The silicon vacancy centers in the nanodiamonds can have a preferred orientation enabling orientation tracking of individual nanodiamonds or other applications. A method for detecting properties of the analyte of interest by interacting with the imaging agent is also provided.
15 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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exposing a biological environment to illumination from a light source in a wearable device, wherein the illumination comprises excitation light having a wavelength between 1050 and 1200 nanometers, wherein silicon-vacancy nanodiamonds have been introduced into the biological environment, wherein each of the silicon-vacancy nanodiamonds has at least one silicon vacancy center and is functionalized to selectively interact with an analyte in the biological environment, and wherein the excitation light is absorbed by the silicon vacancy centers through two-photon absorption and causes the silicon vacancy centers to emit light in a band of wavelengths centered at approximately 738 nanometers and having a full width at half-maximum of less than 15 nanometers; and detecting, by a light sensor in the wearable device, one or more properties of the light emitted by the silicon vacancy centers in response to the excitation light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wearable device comprising:
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a light source that can direct excitation light having a wavelength between 1050 and 1200 nanometers to a biological environment into which silicon-vacancy nanodiamonds have been introduced, wherein each silicon-vacancy nanodiamond has at least one silicon vacancy center and is functionalized to selectively interact with an analyte in the biological environment, and wherein the excitation light is absorbed by the silicon vacancy centers through two-photon absorption and causes the silicon vacancy centers to emit light in a band of wavelengths centered at approximately 738 nanometers and having a full width at half-maximum of less than 15 nanometers; and a light sensor that can detect one or more properties of the light emitted by the silicon vacancy centers in response to the excitation light. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification