Nanoparticle-based CT visualization of pulmonary vasculature for minimally-invasive thoracic surgery planning

• Published in: PloS one 2019-01, Vol.14 (1), p.e0209501-e0209501
• Main Authors: Hu, Hsin-Pei, Chan, Harley, Ujiie, Hideki, Bernards, Nicholas, Fujino, Kosuke, Irish, Jonathan C, Zheng, Jinzi, Yasufuku, Kazuhiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomedical engineering; Biomedical materials; Blood vessels; Care and treatment; CAT scans; Computed tomography; Contrast Media - administration & dosage; Diagnosis; Drug dosages; Feasibility studies; Health care networks; Hospitals; Humans; Identification; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; In vivo methods and tests; Indocyanine Green - administration & dosage; Injection; Iohexol - administration & dosage; Lipids; Liposomes - administration & dosage; Localization; Lung - blood supply; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Lung - surgery; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - blood supply; Lung Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine and Health Sciences; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Models, Animal; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Ostomy; Permeability; Pulmonary arteries; Rabbits; Research and Analysis Methods; Signal-To-Noise Ratio; Surgery; Sus scrofa; Swine; Thoracic surgery; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Thorax; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - statistics & numerical data; Translational Medical Research; Tumors; Visualization; Workloads
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209501

To evaluate CF800, a novel lipid-based liposomal nanoparticle that co-encapsulates indocyanine green (ICG) and iohexol, for CT imaging of pulmonary vasculature in minimally-invasive thoracic surgery planning. CF800 was intravenously administered to 7 healthy rabbits. In vivo CT imaging was performed 15 min post-injection, with a subset of animals imaged at 24h, 48h, and 72h post injection. Signal-to-background ratios (SBR) were calculated at the inferior vena cava and compared across time-points. A similar protocol was applied to 2 healthy pigs to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy in a large animal model. To evaluate the feasibility of clinical application, a survey was completed by 7 surgical trainees to assess pre- and post-injection CT images of rabbits and pigs. Responses on the discernibility of pulmonary vasculature sub-branches and comfort level to use the images for pre-operative planning were collected and analyzed. CF800 injection improved visualization of pulmonary vessels in both rabbit and pig models. The SBR of rabbit pulmonary vasculature was significantly higher after CF800 injection (range 3.7-4.4) compared to pre-injection (range 3.3-3.8, n = 7; p