Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The proposal requests funds to set up a biothermal imaging facility.  The facility will provide the capability of getting images of the surface temperatures from objects from the centimetre scale to the micrometer scale, which span a range of -40 Celsius to 500 Celsius, and at a resolution of 18 micrometres.  It will support three scientists involved in two thermal therapy based research programs.  One program investigates the use of ultrasound transmission imaging to monitor the destruction of tissue during thermal therapy.  The other program is investigating the use of gold nanoparticles conjugated to biomolecules that target specific types of cancer cells, resulting in an uptake of the nanoparticles in tumour regions.  The particles can then be activated using infrared light to heat and destroy only the tumour regions.  The two programs are complimentary in the sense that one is investigating a novel form of targeted thermal therapy, while the other is investigating a novel form of monitoring the progress of thermal therapies, in real-time during treatment.  The proposed facility will greatly benefit both these programs and will provide infrared thermography skills to students to produce highly qualified graduates in Canada.