Intraoperative blood vessel detection and quantification: a Monte Carlo study.

With better surgical outcomes, quicker recovery times, decreased postoperative pain, and reduced scarring at the surgical site, the application of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has gained a lot of prominence in the last 30 years. This change in surgical practice has taken away the ability of a surgeon to palpate for the presence of a blood vessel as would occur in an open procedure. They instead must rely on a laparoscopic video camera feed that unfortunately cannot detect the presence of a blood vessel hidden beneath tissue.

Blood vessel detection, localization and estimation using a smart laparoscopic grasper: a Monte Carlo study.

For centuries, surgeons have relied on their sense of touch to identify vital structures such as blood vessels in traditional open surgery. Over the past two decades, surgeons have shifted to minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches, including laparoscopic surgery, which include benefits such as less scarring, less risk for infection, and quicker recovery times. In fact, some surgeries such as cholecystectomies have seen more than an 80% adoption of this technique because of those benefits.

PEI-PEG-Chitosan Copolymer Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Safe Gene Delivery: synthesis, complexation, and transfection.

Gene therapy offers the potential of mediating disease through modification of specific cellular functions of target cells. However, effective transport of nucleic acids to target cells with minimal side effects remains a challenge despite the use of unique viral and non-viral delivery approaches. Here we present a non-viral nanoparticle gene carrier that demonstrates effective gene delivery and transfection both in vitro and in vivo.

Design and fabrication of magnetic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) represent a class of non-invasive imaging agents that have been developed for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. These MNPs have traditionally been used for disease imaging via passive targeting, but recent advances have opened the door to cellular-specific targeting, drug delivery, and multi-modal imaging by these nanoparticles. As more elaborate MNPs are envisioned, adherence to proper design criteria (e.

Inhibition of tumor-cell invasion with chlorotoxin-bound superparamagnetic nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles have been investigated as drug delivery vehicles, contrast agents, and multifunctional devices for patient care. Current nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment are mainly based on delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to induce apoptosis or DNA/siRNA to regulate oncogene expression. Here, a nanoparticle system that demonstrates an alternative approach to the treatment of cancers through the inhibition of cell invasion, while serving as a magnetic resonance and optical imaging contrast agent, is presented.

A ligand-mediated nanovector for targeted gene delivery and transfection in cancer cells.

As conventional cancer therapies struggle with toxicity issues and irregular remedial efficacy, the preparation of novel gene therapy vectors could offer clinicians the tools for addressing the genetic errors of diseased tissue. The transfer of gene therapy to the clinic has proven difficult due to safety, target specificity, and transfection efficiency concerns. Polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoparticles have been identified as promising gene carriers that induce gene transfection with high efficiency.

Adhesive and mechanical properties of hydrogels influence neurite extension.

Photopolymerizable polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels conjugated with bioactive ligands were examined for their use as scaffolds in peripheral nerve regeneration applications. The bioactivity and mechanical properties of PEG hydrogels can be tailored through the integration of bioactive factors (adhesion ligands, proteolytic sites, growth factors) and the alteration of PEG concentrations, respectively. For peripheral nerve regeneration, it will be important to determine the type and concentration of the bioactive molecules required to improve neurite extension.