CELLULAR OR ORGANELLE-ENTRAPPED NANOPARTICLES
The invention provides tissue marking pigment or dye particle retained within a tissue cell, the cellular cytoplasm, or one or more intracellular organelles. Also, the invention provides nanoparticles, which are phagocytosed, engulfed or otherwise entrapped by cells.
1 . A sphere, capsule or aggregate comprising at least one pigment or dye particle,
wherein the pigment or dye particle is from about 1 to about 100 nm in diameter, and
wherein the sphere, capsule or aggregate is capable of being phagocytosed by a tissue cell, and releasing the pigment or dye particle into the tissue cell upon or after phagocytosis.
2 - 6 . (canceled)
7 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 1 , wherein the pigment or dye particle is from about 1 to about 10 nm in diameter.
8 - 14 . (canceled)
15 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more biodegradable or bioabsorbable material to bind pigment or dye particles.
16 - 24 . (canceled)
25 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 1 , further comprising a compound on its outer surface, which said compound increases protein adsorption to the outer surface.
26 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 1 , further comprising on its outer surface molecules that interact with specific receptors on a surface of the tissue cell to heighten aggressiveness of an immune system reaction to the sphere, capsule or aggregate.
27 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 26 , wherein the molecules are selected from the group consisting of integrins, endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide and any combination thereof.
28 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 25 , wherein the compound is covalently or ionically bonded to the outer surface.
29 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 25 , wherein the compound is a lipopolysaccharide.
30 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 29 , wherein the lipopolysaccharide is obtained from E. coli or Porphyromonas gingivalis.
31 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 25 , wherein the compound is a cytokine.
32 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 31 , wherein the cytokine is TNF-α.
33 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 25 , wherein the compound is a leukotriene.
34 . The sphere, capsule or aggregate according to claim 33 , wherein the leukotriene is LTB4.
35 - 84 . (canceled)
85 . A method for forming a sphere, capsule or aggregate comprising:
forming at least one pigment or dye particle that is from about 1 to about 10 nm in diameter; and
combining said pigment or dye particle to form the sphere, capsule or aggregate,
wherein the sphere, capsule or aggregate is capable of being phagocytosed by a tissue cell, and releasing the pigment particle into the tissue cell upon or after phagocytosis.
86 - 93 . (canceled)
94 . The method according to claim 85 , wherein pigment or dye particles are combined to form the sphere, capsule or aggregate using at least one biodegradable or bioabsorbable material to bind the pigment or dye particles.
95 - 104 . (canceled)
105 . The method according to claim 85 , further comprising a step of providing on an outer surface of the sphere, capsule or aggregate molecules that interact with specific receptors on a surface of the cell to heighten aggressiveness of an immune system reaction to the sphere, capsule or aggregate.
106 . The method according to claim 105 , wherein the molecules are selected from the group consisting of integrins, endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide and any combination thereof.
107 - 130 . (canceled)
131 . A tissue marking ink comprising particles in a carrier, wherein at least 50% of the particles are from about 0.2 to about 100 microns in diameter.
132 - 134 . (canceled)
135 . The tissue marking ink according to claim 131 , wherein at least 50% of the particles in the ink are from about 1 to about 10 microns in diameter.
136 . (canceled)
137 . The tissue marking ink according to claim 131 , wherein the particles, which are from about 1 to about 3 microns, comprise a sphere, capsule or aggregate comprising at least one pigment or dye particle, which is from about 1 to about 10 nm in diameter.
138 - 160 . (canceled)