[nanoPost] Medical diagnostic imaging

Company Australia

Medical imaging is a cornerstone of diagnosis and continuing care. This division of healthcare delivery assists physicians in detecting and treating medical conditions and monitoring treatment progress.

Medical diagnostic imaging encompasses a number of key imaging modalities, including x-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), positron emission tomography (PET), and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Trends in medical imaging applications

Emerging drivers in medical imaging markets focus on the advancement and development of multi-modality imaging. Multi-modality imaging fuses the capabilities of two or more imaging modalities into a single system. Two of the most commonly encountered include the PET/CT or SPECT/CT. These hybrid systems combine the strengths of both imaging modalities, and realize the benefits of two scans within a single exam for the patient.

This emergence of hybrid imaging systems is rapidly fuelling demand for multi-modality imaging agents.

What is a contrast agent?
Contrast agents are administered prior to an imaging procedure in order to increase the level of visibility of the organ or tissue under examination, assisting physicians to accurately determine the presence and extent of disease or injury.

Traditionally, a contrast agent can only be visualized under one or two imaging modalities. With trends driving multi-modality imaging systems, the need for hybrid contrast agents that incorporate the visibility advantages attributable to multiple contrast agents into one single formulation is rapidly increasing.

What is a marking agent?
Marking agents serve to enhance visualization of specific sites of interest in biopsies or surgery, for example tissue marking implants, or can help in the identification and localisation of devices that are implanted into the body.

This allows physicians for accurate relocation of areas of interest, enabling guided therapy and monitoring of the site post-operatively.

Molecular imaging
By far the superior technological advance is that within the field of molecular imaging.

Molecular imaging is a developing, multidisciplinary industry which combines biological and cellular science with highly advanced imaging and detection technologies. This combination provides a powerful technique which promises to detect the earliest stages of disease initiation and progression, allowing for timely intervention and better delivery of care.

Molecular imaging incorporates an affinity molecule that binds specifically to a target molecule that characterizes the disease process being studied. This affinity molecule is labeled with a methodology that allows detection by an imaging device allowing localization of early stage disease.

Modified Porous Silicon
The company's primary platform technology is a modified form of nano-structured porous silicon. The product retains key properties of silicon and is specifically engineered for in-vivo hybrid imaging. The product  can be engineered to remain in-situ or degrade at a controlled rate.

Unique properties of porous silicon
1 - Porous silicon is a naturally derived essential trace element

Silicon is the second most abundant element, making up 28% of the earth's crust. pSi breaks down into silicic acid, a naturally occurring substance in everyday food and water.

Its natural derivative, porous silicon, has demonstrated biocompatibility in humans and animals. pSi breaks down into silicic acid, a naturally occurring substance in everyday food and water.

2 - Controlled biodegradation

Careful engineering of silicon results in the production of porous silicon particles with varying pore size, shape and structure, factors which control the rate of breakdown, or biodegradability, of porous silicon inside the body. This process can be tailored to range anywhere from seconds to years.

3 - Safety profile

Porous silicon has been demonstrated to be non-toxic for use in the body, possessing a low risk of allergic reaction or inflammation.

4 - Imageable

Porous silicon has been proven visible across the four major imaging modalities of ultrasound, x-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is also fluorescent and luminescent across a wide spectrum, including both near-infrared and ultraviolet light, giving AION a key advantage in the multi-application ability of its product candidates.

5 - Flexibility of manufacture

Porous silicon is micromachinable. It can be manipulated into a wide range of shapes and forms, and can be finely engineered to suit medical requirements. It is able to be manufactured to create a range of complex and flexible forms such as fibres that can be woven into mesh, and can be used to coat standard medical fabrics. The product retains the semiconductor properties of elemental silicon.

6 - Scale up

Silicon has a proven history of manufacturing with over 40 years experience in the electronics industry. It is also abundantly available meaning raw materials are simple and inexpensive to obtain.