Date of Award

2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MSc)

Department

Biomedical Physics

First Advisor

Michael Christopher Kolios

Second Advisor

Joseph Carl Kumaradas

Abstract

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.