3D Imaging of Nanoparticle Distribution in Biological Tissue by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Y. Gimenez (1) , B. Busser (1) , F. Trichard (1) , A. Kulesza (1) , J. M. Laurent (2) , V. Zaun (3) , F. Lux (1) , Jean-Michel Benoit (1) , Gérard Panczer (1) , P. Dugourd (1) , O. Tillement (1) , F. Pelascini (3) , Lucie Sancey (1) , Vincent Motto-Ros (1)

1 ILM - Institut Lumière Matière [Villeurbanne]
2 Andor Technology
3 CRITT Matériaux Alsace

Nanomaterials represent a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential for future medical applications. Nanotechnology indeed promises to revolutionize diagnostics, drug delivery, gene therapy, and many other areas of research. For any biological investigation involving nanomaterials, it is crucial to study the behavior of such nano-objects within tissues to evaluate both their efficacy and their toxicity. Here, we provide the first account of 3D label-free nanoparticle imaging at the entire-organ scale. The technology used is known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and possesses several advantages such as speed of operation, ease of use and full compatibility with optical microscopy. We then used two different but complementary approaches to achieve 3D elemental imaging with LIBS: a volume reconstruction of a sliced organ and in-depth analysis. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the quantitative imaging of both endogenous and exogenous elements within entire organs and paves the way for innumerable applications.

Mots clés: 3-D reconstruction; Imaging and sensing; Optical spectroscopy

Domaines: Cancer; Imagerie; Chimie; Physique Médicale [physics.med-ph]

Y. Gimenez, B. Busser, F. Trichard, A. Kulesza, J. M. Laurent, et al.. 3D Imaging of Nanoparticle Distribution in Biological Tissue by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, pp.29936. ⟨10.1038/srep29936⟩. ⟨hal-01405764⟩