Imaging modalities combined with a multimodal nanocomposite contrast agent hold great potential for significant contributions in the biomedical field. Among modern imaging techniques, photoacoustic (PA) and fluorescence (FL) imaging gained much attention due to their non-invasive feature and the mutually supportive characteristic in terms of spatial resolution, penetration depth, imaging sensitivity, and speed. In this present study, we synthesized IR783 conjugated chitosan–polypyrrole nanocomposites (IR-CS–PPy NCs) as a theragnostic agent used for FL/PA dual-modal imaging. A customized FL and photoacoustic imaging system was constructed to perform required imaging experiments and create high-contrast images. The proposed nanocomposites were confirmed to have great biosafety, essentially a near-infrared (NIR) absorbance property with enhanced photostability. The in vitro photothermal results indicate the high-efficiency MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell ablation ability of IR-CS–PPy NCs under 808 nm NIR laser irradiation. The in vivo PTT study revealed the complete destruction of the tumor tissues with IR-CS–PPy NCs without further recurrence. The in vitro and in vivo results suggest that the demonstrated nanocomposites, together with the proposed imaging systems could be an effective theragnostic agent for imaging-guided cancer treatment.
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a noninvasive therapy that uses focused ultrasound to treat a part of the tissue; high temperatures can damage tissues by heat. HIFU has many applications in the field of surgery and aesthetics and is used increasingly in everyday life. In this article, we discuss the mainboard design that controls the HIFU system with the ability to create a multistep sine wave compatible with many different applications. The signal used to trigger the transducer is a sinusoidal signal with a frequency adjustable from 0.1 to 3 MHz. In addition, the power supplied to the HIFU transducer is also controlled easily by the configuration parameters installed in the control circuit board. The proposed control and design method generates a voltage signal that doubles the supply voltage, thereby reducing the current on the MOSFET. The hardware design is optimized for a surface-mounted device-type MOSFET without the need for an external heat sink. In tests, we conducted a harmonious combination of two output signals to activate the same HIFU probe. The results showed that the energy transferred to the HIFU transducer increased by 1.5 times compared to a single channel. This means that the HIFU treatment time is reduced when using this method, with absolutely no changes in the system structure.
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