MUMBAI, India, Feb. 13 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202541124410 A) filed by Saveetha Institute Of Medical And Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Dec. 10, 2025, for 'gold coated iron oxide nanoparticles as a biocompatible contrast agent for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.'
Inventor(s) include Dr. Nivetha; Dr. P. Vijayalakshmi; Dr. Sukumar Ramaswamy; and Deepak Nallasw Amy Veeraiyan.
The application for the patent was published on Feb. 13, under issue no. 07/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention provides engineered gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Au@FexOy) and related formulations for use as improved MRI contrast agents. Each nanoparticle comprises a superparamagnetic iron oxide core (magnetite or maghemite) uniformly encapsulated by a conductive gold shell formed via a seed-mediated reduction process. The outer surface is further modified with biocompatible stabilizers (e.g., polyethylene glycol), targeting moieties (peptides, antibodies, small molecules), or stimuli-responsive coatings. This core-shell architecture enhances colloidal stability, minimizes core oxidation, and permits fine control of magnetic and surface properties. The Au@FexOY particles demonstrate enhanced relaxivity (ri and/or r2) relative to conventional iron oxide contrast agents, enabling stronger contrast at reduced administered concentrations and improved T1/T2 imaging flexibility. The invention also encompasses scalable synthesis methods, sterile pharmaceutical compositions, dosing regimens, and protocols for targeted diagnostic imaging and combined diagnostic/theranostic applications. Advantages include reduced toxicity risk, improved circulation half-life, and facile functionalization for targeted delivery."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
