Investigação de Distorções Espectrais Causadas por Tecidos Biológicos utilizando o Software Virtual Tissue Simulator

Abstract

The study of luminescent nanoparticles has provided significant advances in the field of biomedicine. Through the use of these nanoparticles, it has been possible to carry out studies on biological tissues, aiming to improve therapies, diagnostics and other applications. In particular, these nanoparticles are being used to measure tissue temperature, using the so-called nanothermometers. However, spectral distortions caused by biological tissues can lead to errors in measuring the local temperature. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to quantify possible errors in the temperature measurement in the following biological tissues: skin, liver, brain tissue and breast tissue. To do this, the concentration of H2O and fat in these tissues was varied, using the Virtual Tissue Simulator software. TiO2 nanoparticles doped with Nd3+ ions (TiO2:Nd3+) were used as luminescent nanothermometers. The temperatures were estimated based on the emission ratios of these nanoparticles at around 895 and 1067 nm. As one of the results, we obtained that errors in the temperature measurement, caused by spectral distortions, can be greater than 4°C. Therefore, this study emphasizes the care that must be taken when measuring temperatures in biological systems, as well as demonstrating the importance of developing experimental techniques to overcome these problems.