NIR-II Luminescent Nanothermometer for Precise Assessment of Ischemic Stroke
Xiaochen Qiu1,2, Wei Yuan1,3, Chen Jiang4
1Department of Chemistry & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 2, 2025
Summary
Early detection of ischemic stroke in elderly patients is crucial. A new hybrid nanothermometer enables contactless monitoring of brain temperatures, identifying strokes even without behavioral symptoms and correlating temperature rise with lesion severity.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Neurology
Background:
- Ischemic stroke poses significant risks to the elderly, with challenges in early detection and treatment windows.
- Accurate monitoring of brain microregion temperatures is vital for early stroke assessment and understanding immune responses.
- Current methods for stroke detection have limitations in speed and accuracy, impacting patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an innovative hybrid nanothermometer for contactless monitoring of cerebral lesion temperatures in ischemic stroke models.
- To assess the feasibility of using optical signals in the near-infrared-II window for deep brain temperature measurement.
- To correlate temperature changes in the ischemic region with stroke severity and progression.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a hybrid nanothermometer using lanthanides and quantum dots.
- Application of the nanothermometer for contactless temperature monitoring in mice with induced ischemic stroke.
- Utilizing ratio optical signals in the near-infrared-II window (1000-1700 nm) for signal detection.
Main Results:
- The nanothermometer successfully detected temperature increases in the ischemic region of mice 4 hours after reperfusion, indicating early stroke occurrence.
- Temperature elevation in the brain correlated with the severity of the cerebral lesion.
- The near-infrared-II window enabled deep tissue penetration, high accuracy, and minimized tissue damage.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid nanothermometer offers a promising strategy for precise and early assessment of ischemic stroke.
- Contactless temperature monitoring can identify strokes before overt symptoms appear.
- This technology has significant implications for improving stroke diagnosis, treatment timing, and patient quality of life.
