Download Customized Delivery of Photodynamic Therapy to Tumor Sites

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING – Customized Delivery of Photodynamic Therapy to Tumor Sites
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a disease treatment modality which uses optical radiation to
generate highly reactive singlet oxygen atoms to kill malignant cells by exciting a
photosensitizer drug applied to the lesions. To achieve a good PDT treatment outcome, a
precise and effective optical delivery system with customizable optical output beam profile is
important. In this project, we plan to use nanoparticles embedded in a photocurable polymer
to create an optical scattering layer around the core of an optical fiber. This scattering layer
allows optical radiation to emit to the side of the fiber through Rayleigh scattering. Since the
output intensity is a function of the scattering cross-section, and the concentration of the
nanoparticles embedded in the layer can be controlled during the application process, the goal
is to provide an output beam profile that can be individually tailored based on the size and
density of a patient’s tumor.