Photo shows hands in medical gloves during microscope examination.

Fluorescent nanodiamonds for the biomedical industry

Helping medicine see, diagnose, and treat health issues effectively

The photo shows a hand wearing a medical glove holding an ampoule.

Overview

Quantum-grade nanodiamonds for biological and medical research

Advances in nanotechnology hold significant promise for addressing many clinical and biomedical challenges. Fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) is a quantum-grade material with applications in various fields, such as bioimaging, medical diagnostics, and quantum sensing. The nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in FNDs enable precise sensing of temperature, pH, electrochemical potential, and electromagnetic fields within cells, as well as detection of specific molecules such as free radicals, making FNDs highly valuable tools in biological and medical research.

At SLB, our MegaDiamond team manufactures FNDs with material, optical, and NV spin properties that surpass or rival those of their commercially available counterparts. Our nanodiamonds (NDs) derive their superior properties from color centers embedded in a matrix of highly crystalline, low-strain carbon atoms. We specialize in FND materials that are 50 nm or smaller in size, and our FNDs exhibit both red (NV) and green (H3) fluorescence. When excited by the appropriate wavelength, they emit multiplex fluorescence, enabling the visualization and analysis of components within biological systems, cells, or tissues.

Applications

Cancer bioimaging

Autoimmune research

Lateral flow testing

New possibilities for improved bioimaging and sensing methods

The unique spin and glowing properties of certain color centers in NDs create new possibilities for improved bioimaging, sensing, and treatment, including:

Detection of early disease biomarkers
Intracellular sensing of temperature, pH, EM fields, and chemical potential
Neutralization of free radicals and other reactive species
Targeted drug delivery and therapeutic monitoring

The combination of small size and excellent quantum properties in our FND material makes it an exceptional choice for biomedical research. In addition, our patented pressure temperature qubit (PTQ) process provides FND in quantities suitable for larger-scale biomedical laboratory tests, such as biofunctionalization optimization and clinical trials.

Image of cytotoxicity study using ND imaging.

No detectable cytotoxicity was found in any of the five cell types tested. ND imaging within live cells is demonstrated with standard confocal microscopy.