Abstract: An optical measurement method comprises a holding step, a measurement step, and a first application step. In the holding step, a specimen solution containing a specimen and the magnetic particles is held in a specific magnetic field state, in which a magnetic field not lower than a first magnetic field for moving magnetic particles closer to a substrate is not applied, on the substrate or in a storage container different from the substrate. In the measurement step, an elapsed time from a start reference time of the specific magnetic field state is measured. In the first application step, after the elapsed time reaches a predetermined time, the first magnetic field is applied, for a first application time, by a magnet, to the specimen solution introduced to the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic particle having high magnetic field responsiveness in detection of a substance to be measured, such as an antigen or an antibody, from a specimen. The magnetic particle includes a magnetic core particle and a polymer layer arranged on a surface of the magnetic core particle. The magnetic core particle contains an aggregation of a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles. The polymer layer contains a polymer having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of: a carboxyl group; an amino group; a thiol group; an epoxy group; a maleimide group; and a succinimidyl group.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic particle excellent in detection speed when a substance to be measured, such as an antigen or an antibody, is detected from a specimen. The particle includes a magnetic particle containing a magnetic material, wherein the magnetic particle has a resin on a surface, wherein the particle has a volume average particle diameter of 0.4 ?m or more and 1.5 ?m or less, wherein the particle has a density of 5.1 g/cm3 or more and 10.0 g/cm3 or less, and wherein the resin has a functional group capable of binding a ligand.

Abstract: A magnet includes hard magnetic particles containing a rare-earth metal, and a soft magnetic material interposed between the hard magnetic particles to bind together the hard magnetic particles.

Abstract: A composite magnetic material includes a soft magnetic phase including a magnetic material containing a ferromagnetic material including Fe or Co as a main component and a plurality of hard magnetic particles present and dispersed in a form of islands in the soft magnetic phase. The hard magnetic particles have an average particle size of 2 nm or more and include a magnetic material containing a ferrimagnetic material or an antiferromagnetic material as a main component while they are present with an average inter-particle distance of 100 nm or less in the soft magnetic phase. The composite magnetic material has excellent magnetic properties and can be made into a lightweight magnet to be used e.g. in a motor of an aircraft.

Abstract: To provide a compound having high T/B and a contrast agent for optical imaging. The compound has a molecular weight of a specific range, the compound in which two polyethylene glycols are bonded to a specific cyanine pigment through a linker. The present invention provides a compound which has a high T/B and which can be used as a contrast agent capable of imaging a tumor portion with high contrast.

Abstract: The present invention provides contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging which exhibit high degrees of accumulation in tumor and low degrees of retention in the blood and can be administered into the blood. The contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging include a conjugate of a dye and a polyethyleneglycol represented by Formula (1), (5), (6), or (7) and an additive represented by Formula (301).

Abstract: The present invention provides contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging which exhibit high degrees of accumulation in tumor and low degrees of retention in the blood and can be administered into the blood. The contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging include a conjugate of a dye and a polyethyleneglycol represented by Formula (1), (5), (6), or (7) and an additive represented by Formula (301).

Abstract: A composite magnetic material includes a soft magnetic material and a hard magnetic material. The soft magnetic material and the hard magnetic material each contain elemental iron, 90 atom % or more and 100 atom % or less of the elemental iron contained in the soft magnetic material forms a first oxide or a first composite oxide, and 90 atom % or more and 100 atom % or less of the elemental iron contained in the hard magnetic material forms a second oxide or a second composite oxide.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus includes: a light source radiating first light having a first wavelength ?1 and second light having a second wavelength ?2; a detection unit detecting an acoustic wave generated from an object irradiated with the light, and converting the acoustic wave into a detection signal; and a signal processing unit acquiring characteristic information of the inside of the object based on the detection signal. The signal processing unit acquires the characteristic information by performing subtraction processing between a signal generated as a result of the first light being absorbed by hemoglobin and a signal generated as a result of the second light being absorbed by hemoglobin.

Abstract: To provide a compound having high TB and a contrast agent for optical imaging. The compound has a molecular weight of a specific range, the compound in which two polyethylene glycols are bonded to a specific cyanine pigment through a linker. The present invention provides a compound which has a high T/B and which can be used as a contrast agent capable of imaging a tumor portion with high contrast.

Abstract: There is provided a contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging, the contrast agent exhibiting high tumor accumulation and high photoacoustic signal intensity even when time has passed since administration. A contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging comprises a complex including albumin covalently bound to an organic dye that absorbs light in the near-infrared wavelength region.

Abstract: There is provided an ICG-loaded polymer nanoparticle that is dynamically stable, prevents the leakage of contained ICG and the resulting discoloration, and has a high molar absorbance coefficient. The particle contains a hydrophilic dye having a sulfonate group and a hydrophobic polymer, and the particle further contains at least one of a lipid having a positively charged region, a nicotinic acid derivative and a thiamine derivative.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound which exhibits a high degree of accumulation into a tumor even when some extent of time has passed after performing administration and which facilitates an increase in the intensity of photoacoustic signal produced by the tumor. A compound produced by bonding of a polyethylene glycol and a specific cyanine based compound.

Abstract: A compound or a salt thereof in which polyethylene glycol is bonded to a specific cyanine dye.

Abstract: A method for producing a contrast agent includes the reaction step of allowing a cyanine dye containing a naphthyl group and a carboxyl or carboxylate group to react with a polyethylene glycol containing an amino group in an organic solvent to form a conjugate, and the purification step of purifying the conjugate using an organic solvent.

Abstract: The present invention provides contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging which exhibit high degrees of accumulation in tumor and low degrees of retention in the blood and can be administered into the blood. The contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging include a conjugate of a dye and a polyethyleneglycol represented by Formula (1), (5), (6), or (7) and an additive represented by Formula (301).

Abstract: There is provided a contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging, the contrast agent exhibiting high tumor accumulation and high photoacoustic signal intensity even when time has passed since administration. A contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging comprises a complex including albumin covalently bound to an organic dye that absorbs light in the near-infrared wavelength region.

Abstract: Provided is a particle which can stably hold a dye in itself even in an aqueous solution such as serum, in order to solve such a problem of a particle containing ICG, which has been conventionally used in a contrast agent or the like, that the ICG is a dye having a hydrophilic functional group and hence the ICG leaks out of the particle in an aqueous solution such as serum. More specifically, provided is a particle including a hydrophobic dye having a cyanine structure, in which the hydrophobic dye is represented by the following chemical formula (1).

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound which exhibits a high degree of accumulation into a tumor even when some extent of time has passed after performing administration and which facilitates an increase in the intensity of photoacoustic signal produced by the tumor. A compound produced by bonding of a polyethylene glycol and a specific cyanine based compound.