Abstract: A photoacoustic apparatus comprises a light source; an irradiation unit configured to radiate light from the light source to an object that contains a contrast agent; a receiving unit configured to receive acoustic waves generated when the contrast agent absorbs the light radiated by the irradiation unit and output an electrical signal; a correction processing unit configured to correct a signal strength of the electrical signal, based on a temporal change in a concentration of the contrast agent contained in the object; and an acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristics information on the object, based on the electrical signal that has been corrected by the correction processing unit.

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: 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.

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: A particle includes a copolymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid, and at least one compound selected from silicon naphthalocyanine and derivatives of silicon naphthalocyanine, in which the particle has a particle size of 10 nm or more and less than 1000 nm.

Abstract: To provide a particle promoting hydrophobic metal phthalocyanine aggregation, having absorption in a wavelength region suitable for a photoacoustic imaging method and having a high molar absorbance coefficient per particle by increasing the weight percentage of the dye in the particle. The particle of the present invention is a particle having a hydrophobic metal phthalocyanine and a surfactant, wherein the weight percentage of the hydrophobic metal phthalocyanine is 6% or more.

Abstract: Provided is a particle having a large photoacoustic signal per unit dye, the particle including: one of a hydrophobic metal naphthalocyanine dye and a hydrophobic metal phthalocyanine dye; one of an oil, a fatty acid, and a fatty acid ester as a matrix material; and a surfactant, in which a ratio of the weight of the matrix material to the weight of the particle is 50% or more.

Abstract: A conventional silicon naphthalocyanine-containing liposome is required to incorporate a dye dispersed therein for use in photodynamic therapy, and is thus low in dye content and also low in photoacoustic signal. According to a lipid particle containing a silicon naphthalocyanine analog, in which the ratio A/B of an absorption coefficient A at a first absorption local maximum to an absorption coefficient B at a second absorption local maximum in a range from 700 nm to 800 nm is 5.0 or less, the dye content in the lipid particle can be increased and the photoacoustic signal intensity can be improved.

Abstract: A method of detecting a contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging provides a high signal intensity. In a contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging, each particle containing an inorganic material supports at least an organic dye having an absorption coefficient in the near infrared region by means of chemical bonding.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a novel contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging that is highly capable of binding to a target molecule and generates high photoacoustic signals. The present invention provides a contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging represented by Formula 1: MNP-((L)l-(P)m)n??(Formula 1) (wherein MNP represents a particle containing an iron oxide particle; L represents a linker molecule; P represents a ligand molecule; l represents 0 or 1; and m and n represent an integer of 1 or larger), the contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging including: a particle containing an iron oxide particle that absorbs light in a near-infrared region; and at least one or more ligand molecule(s) immobilized on the particle containing an iron oxide particle, wherein the immobilization density of the ligand molecule is equal to or higher than the cell surface density of a target molecule.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to increase the dye content in nanoparticles and to improve the signal intensity per particle.

Abstract: A particle includes a copolymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid, and at least one compound selected from silicon naphthalocyanine and derivatives of silicon naphthalocyanine, in which the particle has a particle size of 10 nm or more and less than 1000 nm.

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: A resin for toner containing a resin component having both a polyester unit produced by polycondensation of a polyhydric alcohol component and a polycarboxylic acid component, and an aryl group having a sulfonic ester group as a substituent; and a toner that contains the resin for toner.

Abstract: A resin for toner containing a resin component having both a polyester unit produced by polycondensation of a polyhydric alcohol component and a polycarboxylic acid component, and an aryl group having a sulfonic ester group as a substituent; and a toner that contains the resin for toner.

Abstract: Regarding a composite particle in the related art, an antibody and a dye are bound to the surface of the particle. Therefore, it is not possible to bind both the antibody and the dye high in number. Accordingly, the present invention provides a composite particle, wherein a large acoustic wave can be emitted and both the antibody and the dye can be bound high in number. A composite particle including a core particle, a dye bound to the above described core particle, and an antibody, wherein the above described antibody is bound to the above described dye, is suitable for use.

Abstract: A polymer is provided in which a sulfonic group or a derivative thereof is introduced. The polymer includes a unit represented by the following chemical formula (1): wherein R represents -A1-SO2R1; A1 is selected from an alkylene group, a heterocyclic ring, an aromatic ring; and —SO2R1 is a sulfonic group or of a derivative of a sulfonic acid.

Abstract: A composition including a hydrophilic dye having a sulfonate group and a hydrophobic solvent, wherein the composition includes at least one of a nicotinic acid derivative and a tiamine derivative, can form densely accumulated particles and the like since the composition includes a hydrophilic dye that is likely to dissolve in a hydrophobic solvent.