Introduction

Detection for determining the supramolecular organization of optically active encapsulated drugs via laser excitation and measurement of the lifetime of molecular intrinsic luminescence. The patented invention, thanks to the quantitative detection capability at the nanostructural level, has potential fields of application in nanomedicine, cosmetics, textiles, etc.

Technical features

The vector encapsulating the drug is dissolved in its natural solvent and excited by a laser pulsed at the appropriate wavelength in a standard optical configuration. The emitted fluorescence is collected as a function of time with a suitable detector. In a subsequent implementation, the fluorescence curve as a function of time is analyzed to identify the different functional components that lead to its experimental structure. In a subsequent implementation, the use of phasors to process FLIM data is be used as a fast graphical method to obtain quantitative information. The method is advantageous compared to alternative strategies, as it does not require the chemical modification of the drug to be able to introduce fluorescent probes, it provides a quantitative description of the drug in its native configuration, it does not require chemical sample fixation, and allows to study the drug directly in solution. It has a sensitivity down to the nanoscale without the need for high resolution techniques. Current state of development TRL4. Prototyping is underway with the support of the FLIM Labs startup. It is estimated to reach TRL7 within 8-12 months.

Possible Applications

• Quantitative pharmacological validation;
• Stability analysis of drugs;
• In vitro assays, in vivo experiments;
• Analysis of optically active molecules in other fields: cosmetics, food, paints / pigments, etc.

Advantages

• Quick and easy to use;
• No chemical fixation of the sample;
• Exploitation of intrinsic signals (label-free);
• High flexibility in terms of range of applications.