Nanosystems and Medical Imaging

The development of medical imaging allows us to have a deeper insight into the anatomical structure of the human body and gather information on disease progression from a molecular level. The breakthrough in medical imaging occurred due to advances in imaging instrument technologies and the investigation of new contrast agents. Nanoparticles, with versatile structures and surface functionalization, have been shown to be useful in imaging diagnosis and therapy. Some of these nanoparticle-based contrast agents have been approved for clinic use, while others are still being studied in various preclinical investigations. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of the most recent trends in the development of nanoparticle-based contrast agents and their performance in preclinical research. We will survey different imaging modalities, including optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, nuclear imaging and sound wave-based imaging. At the end, we will highlight the current status of nanoparticle-based contrast agents and the difficulties associated with their successful clinical translation.