# Renally clearable ytterbium nanoparticle contrast agents for spectral photon counting computed tomography

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $243,750

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Conventional CT imaging is very widely used in modern medicine, with 80 million scans performed per year in
the USA. CT has important cardiovascular applications such as calcium scoring and coronary artery
angiography. A new form of CT is emerging, which is known as spectral photon counting CT (SPCCT). This
type of CT uses photon counting detectors as opposed to the energy integrating detectors used in conventional
CT. SPCCT promises improvements over conventional CT such as lower radiation dose, higher spatial
resolution and an improved ability to distinguish materials. The current iodine-based contrast agents used in
CT imaging have several deficiencies such as very rapid clearance, lack of disease targeting, allergic reactions
and potential for kidney damage, and are not ideal for SPCCT in particular since it is difficult to image iodine
specifically. There is a need, therefore, to develop new contrast agents designed for SPCCT that can provide
more accurate and enhanced diagnoses for cardiovascular disease. We have found that ytterbium is the most
potent element for SPCCT contrast generation. We will develop novel, highly biocompatible ytterbium
nanoparticle contrast agents for highly precise and low dose cardiovascular imaging with SPCCT.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10459234
- **Project number:** 5R21EB030373-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** David Peter Cormode
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $243,750
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10459234

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10459234, Renally clearable ytterbium nanoparticle contrast agents for spectral photon counting computed tomography (5R21EB030373-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10459234. Licensed CC0.

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