O processo de separação da água em emulsões de petróleo é feita durante o processamento primário do petróleo e consiste na coalescência de gotas de água. Para minimizar o uso de desemulsificantes e acelerar o processo de separação da emulsão alguns equipamentos podem ser utilizados como os separadores acústicos. Neste trabalho a técnica de força de radiação produzida por ondas estacionárias de ultrassom é aplicada na segregação das fases líquidas de emulsões água em óleo. São desenvolvidas células de ultrassom que operam em frequências próximas de 1 MHz através de ressonadores piezelétricos visando a aplicação na coalescência de gotas de água em emulsões do tipo água-óleo. O trabalho envolve simulações do campo acústico através de modelos analíticos unidimensionais e bidimensionais e de um modelo numérico bidimensional pelo método dos elementos finitos para o estado plano de deformações. São realizadas verificações experimentais em protótipos de células de alta potência para separação em batelada através da comparação do potencial de radiação acústica e da impedância elétrica com resultados de modelos computacionais. Diversos ensaios de quebra de emulsões sintetizadas de petróleo são realizados utilizando um aparato experimental de laboratório aplicando potências de até 600 W=l. Um sistema de controle de frequência de operação é implementado para manter máxima transmissão de potência elétrica para a célula. Os resultados mostraram que a técnica empregada pode reduzir pela metade o uso de desemulsificante químico (de 20 a 10 ppm) ou diminuir o tempo de residência em até 60% (de 20 para 8 min). Uma análise da influência da frequência na eficiência de desemulsificação é realizada e indica que não há sensibilidade no resultado para a faixa de frequência entre 0.8 e 1.5 MHz a uma temperatura ambiente de aproximadamente 23 C. A metodologia empregada auxilia no projeto das células e na aplicação da técnica, mas é insuficiente para explicar integralmente os mecanismos de separação e as diferenças entre o protótipo e o modelo. A aplicação de ultrassom na coalescência de emulsões possui potencial para desenvolvimento em larga escala. / The oil water separation process of petroleum emulsions is performed during the primary processing of crude oil and consists of water droplets coalescence. To minimize the use of demulsifiers and accelerate the emulsion separation process some equipment may be used such as acoustic separators. In this work, a radiation force technique produced by ultrasound standing waves is applied to the water phase separation in oil emulsions. Ultrasound cells operating at ultrasonic frequencies near 1 MHz are developed using piezoelectric resonators applied to the coalescence of water droplets in oil emulsions. This work involves simulations of the acoustic field through one-dimensional and two-dimensional analytical models and a numerical model for two-dimensional plane strain finite element analysis. Furthermore, experimental verification is performed using high power prototypes for batch separation by comparing the acoustic radiation potential and electrical impedance with computational models results. Several tests of synthesized petroleum emulsions breaking are performed using an experimental laboratory apparatus applying up to 600 W=l. A frequency control system is implemented in order to maintain maximum electric power transmission to the cells. The results showed that the technique can halve the use of chemical demulsifier (from 20 to 10 ppm) or decrease the residence time of up to 60% (from 20 to 8 min). An analysis of the frequency influence on demulsification efficiency is performed and indicates that there is no parameter sensitivity in the frequency range between 0.8 and 1.5 MHz at room temperature of approximately 23 C. It is demonstrated that the design methodology is consistent and the application has potential for large-scale development.

Orientadores: Raquel Gonçalves, Gisleiva Cristina dos Santos Ferreira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T13:05:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Batista_FernandoAugustoFranco_M.pdf: 4636104 bytes, checksum: 2982075baa3d46acd1085da2df25489f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Métodos acústicos têm sido utilizados, com eficiência, em determinações de características físicas, de rigidez e de resistência de peças de madeira. Mais recentemente essa tecnologia tem sido aplicada diretamente em árvores, visando a detecção de ocos ou regiões deterioradas e, também, a antecipação do conhecimento de propriedades de resistência e de rigidez da madeira a ser obtido à partir da árvore inspecionada. Dessa forma, o ultrassom está se configurando como ferramenta de grande potencial para avaliações florestais. Atualmente a produção de eucalipto para a indústria de papel e celulose é baseada na produção de clones, os quais são obtidos pelo cruzamento de espécies com características desejáveis pelo setor, tais como crescimento rápido, resistência a doenças, maior produtividade, maior densidade, dentre outras. No entanto, muitas vezes clones considerados de grande potencial têm apresentado problemas graves de encurvamento e quebras, ocasionados principalmente pela ação de ventos. Esse problema tem sido apontado como bastante grave, pois vem afetando, sistematicamente, a produtividade das florestas e ocasionando grandes perdas. No caso de clones que não quebram, mas que apresentam grandes encurvamentos, o crescimento é prejudicado, ocasionando perdas de produtividade. No caso de clones que sofrem quebras os prejuízos são ainda maiores, pois muitas vezes todo o talhão precisa ser retirado, já que o custo para retirar apenas as árvores quebradas não é compensador. Considerando a premissa de que a rigidez é uma das principais responsáveis pela resistência dos clones ao vento, o objetivo principal dessa pesquisa foi verificar a viabilidade do uso da técnica de ultrassom para separar, dentro de um grupo amostral, os clones por rigidez. Os resultados mostraram que a velocidade de propagação de ondas de ultrassom obtida diretamente nas árvores, apresentou correlações significativas com a rigidez obtida em ensaio de flexão que simulou a ação do vento. Essa velocidade também permitiu diferenciar, estatisticamente, os clones e essa diferenciação foi compatível com a obtida utilizando a rigidez dessas mesmas árvores, comprovando a hipótese da pesquisa / Abstract: Acoustic methods have been used, with efficiency, for obtain stiffness properties of the wood. Nowadays this technology has been used in live trees for detection of holes or declines and also to anticipate the knowledge about the stiffness and strength of wood obtained from the inspected tree. So, the ultrasound became a potential tool in forestry evaluations. Currently the Eucalyptus productions for pulp and paper is based on clones, that are produced by crossing species with required properties, as the fast growing , the strength to diseases, the productivity, the density and so on. However, frequently the clones considered with great potential present important problems in bending and breaking, mainly motivated by winds. This question has been considered as very grave problem, because it has been affecting, systematically, the forestry productivity and so, increased losses. In the case of the clones that not broke, but present great bending, the growing is affected, and so there is the productivity decrease. In the case of the clones that break, losses are also greats, because sometimes all area needs to be removed, because the costs to remove only the broken trees not pay. Considering the premise that the stiffness is the most responsible for the strength of the tree to resist the wind, the mainly objective of this research was to verify the viability of the use of the ultrasound technology to separate, into a sample, the clones by stiffness. The results showed that the ultrasonic velocity obtained from the live tree presented correlations statistically significant with stiffness obtained in bending test simulating the wind action. This velocity was able also to statistically distinguish the different clones and this distinguish was compatible with the obtained using the stiffness, demonstrating the hypothesis of the research / Mestrado / Construções Rurais e Ambiencia / Mestre em Engenharia Agrícola

Abstract Interactive image-guided neurosurgery for the resection of brain tumors was developed within the last 10 years at different neurosurgical centers around the world to improve the safety of the surgery and the functional outcome of the patients. Since 1987, the Oulu Neuronavigator System, consisting mainly of a mechanical arm, visualization software, an ultrasound transducer and a computer, was developed at the Neurosurgical Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland. It was the first system to incorporate the principle of the common surgical axis for visualization, including intraoperative ultrasonography. A precommercial version of the device was jointly developed with Elekta Ab, Stockholm, Sweden, as a public project under EUREKA and introduced into a clinical beta-phase trial in 1994 as the Leksell Index System™. A total of 19 operations were performed at the Oulu University Hospital between September 1994 and September 1996 for patients harboring different kinds of intracranial tumors, especially cerebral gliomas. This thesis gives a comprehensive review of the literature from the roots of stereotaxy to the latest developments in interactive image-guided neurosurgery and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Leksell Index System™ with special reference to the clinical series that was performed at our institution. Future therapy strategies for the treatment of patients with cerebral gliomas, especially glioblastoma multiforme are envisioned, focusing on the further improvement of surgical interventions. The clinical trial proved that the employed neuronavigator system is versatile and safe and that there are no adverse effects, complications or surgical mortality due to the device. It enabled the surgeon to plan smaller sized and better centered skin incisions and craniotomies and to approach the target lesion with less dissection of intact brain tissue. Despite more radical removal of lesions the overall invasiveness of the operation was decreased in 63.2% of the cases, the duration of the procedure was decreased in 78.9%, and the surgeon's feeling of safety could be improved in 89.5% of the operations. Due to the use of intraoperative imaging (with ultrasound) the experience provides a unique basis for next generation neuronavigators and also for interventional MRI.

Le cancer est reconnu comme l'un des principaux enjeux de santé actuels. Même si de grands progrès ont été réalisés dans ce domaine, les effets systémiques des chimiothérapies et le caractère invasif des procédures actuelles de potentialisation (agents physiques) sont autant d'éléments limitants. Les ultrasons se démarquent néanmoins par leur faible morbidité. Appliqués de façon extracorporelle, ils peuvent pénétrer en profondeur dans les tissus et y induire effets thermiques et mécaniques, incluant entre autres la cavitation. La cavitation peut se définir comme la formation et l'oscillation de bulles dans le milieu de propagation. Il a été montré de potentiels bénéfices de ce mécanisme dans la potentialisation d'agents thérapeutiques. Bien que la génération de cavitation puisse être aidée par l'ajout d'agents de nucléation extérieurs, le travail présenté ici s'en affranchit afin de rendre la procédure plus versatile. Des simulations ont montré qu'un dispositif ultrasonore basé sur deux faisceaux confocaux permettait des conditions favorables à l'obtention de cavitation dans ces conditions. De plus, études in vivo ont montré l'innocuité du phénomène en regard de la stabilité de la doxorubicine, des effets histologiques sur tissus sains ainsi que sur l'éventuelle diffusion métastatique. L'efficacité du traitement combiné n'a en revanche pas pu être démontrée. Pour investiguer la combinaison de chimiothérapie avec de la cavitation stable, une stratégie de régulation est mise en place. Bien que la synergie ait pu être démontrée in vitro, l'étude préclinique ne permet pas de conclure sur l'effet in vivo. Dans l'hypothèse d'un défaut de localisation du nuage de cavitation, une méthode de localisation spatiale est mise en place et validée / Cancer is recognized as one of the major health issues of this beginning century. Even if great achievements have been performed, chemotherapies induce systemic toxicity and combinable physical agents are invasive. Ultrasound has shown a great potential as an external physical agent. Applied extracorporeally, it can penetrate in depth in tissue and induce various biological effects, mechanical of thermal. Notably, cavitation, which is the formation and oscillatory motion of bubbles in a media, has effects providing the possibility to enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. This effect can be induced in biological tissues by using external nucleation agents such as ultrasound contrast agents. However, to avoid diffusion issues, this work focuses on cavitation without external nucleation agents. For this purpose, a particular setup based on two confocal transducers was designed. Simulations showed its advantages for cavitation applications. A developed preclinical device demonstrated the safety of using unseeded inertial cavitation for the potentiation of doxorubicin (DOX) regarding the drug stability, the effect on healthy tissues and the metastatic spreading. Unfortunately, no effect of combining inertial cavitation with DOX in could have been demonstrated in vivo. To investigate stable cavitation phenomenon, a control process was developed. It permitted to evidence in vitro the synergistic interaction between DOX and stable cavitation. Again, preclinical studies were not able to prove this synergy in vivo. To assess the correct tissue exposures to stable cavitation, a localization method was developed and validated

This thesis work provides a new way to detect and track the displacement of flexor tendons within the human arm, using a non-invasive, ultrasound-based, speckle tracking technique. By tracking the tendons in the arm, it provides a way to monitor a person’s intention to move their hands and fingers. This has application to hand prosthetic control, as well as tendon injury assessment, which has significant contributions to the medical and rehabilitation community. The system works by capturing and processing a sequence of B-scan ultrasound images, to detect and track the flexor tendon motion (excursion) in the wrist, as the user flexes their muscles. Given the biomechanics of the hand, tendon displacement is correlated to the user’s intention to move their finger. Several speckle tracking techniques using B-scan ultrasound image sequences are developed in this work, including: auto-location of the tendon, a stationary ROI (region of interest), and novel use of similarity measures such as FT (Fisher Tippett), and hybrid methods. As well, work is done to investigate various speckle tracking parameters, and their effects on tracking accuracy. The different speckle tracking techniques are developed using data obtained from cadaver hands, and human volunteers undergoing regular surgery. The tracking techniques are compared in terms of successfully detecting the tendon, accurately tracking tendon displacement, successfully tracking multiple tendons, successfully detecting and tracking the onset of low tendon displacement, and computational efficiency of the algorithms. Another major aspect of this work is the design of a novel quad-array transducer that can collect image sequences from up to four tendons simultaneously. This transducer is instrumental to the motivation for controlling an advanced prosthesis. As well, specialized hardware is designed for the cadaver-based studies. Overall, this thesis successfully demonstrated the proposed tracking algorithms and newly designed hardware, for tracking the displacement of single and multiple flexor tendons. It has provided several important contributions to the field. / Graduate / 0548 / 0986 / 0760

M.Tech. / It is difficult to manage a pregnancy when fetal age, health status or potential pregnancy risks are not known. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of routine ultrasound screening as compared to selective use of ultrasound in the mid-trimester of pregnancy, on women using South African government health services. The three objectives investigated included assessment of the availability of reliable menstrual histories in the study population, the influence of ultrasound dating on obstetric management and the effect of ultrasound on pregnancy outcome due to the early detection of high risk pregnancies. A cluster randomised trial of 962 women was performed to test the hypothesis that midtrimester routine ultrasound screening in low risk pregnancies would result in improved antenatal care and perinatal outcome. Groups of eligible pregnant women were randomly selected to have either a routine scan followed by normal antenatal care or routine antenatal care which only allows for the selective use of ultrasound, in line with South African Antenatal Care Policy. Statistical analysis of the results confirmed that ultrasound dating is a more accurate predictor of the expected date of delivery when compared to other dating methods. Improved pregnancy dating resulted in a significant reduction in induction of labour for post-term pregnancy in the ultrasound screening group, suggesting a positive effect of ultrasound screening on obstetric management. No improvement was demonstrated in perinatal morbidity or mortality. The early detection of anomalous fetuses only led to one therapeutic abortion. The study did not possess the statistical power to demonstrate improved outcomes when multiple pregnancies were detected early in pregnancy. Currently there appears to be no urgent need to implement a routine antenatal screening programme in the Gauteng public health sector. In view of the fact that a third of the participants indicated that they were unsure of menstrual dates, and one third of the participants in the ultrasound screening group presented with an unreliable menstrual history, it is proposed that unsure dates be considered as a valid indication for the selective use of ultrasound in mid-trimester pregnancy.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Viktor Chikan / This thesis focuses on exploring fast and controlled drug release from several liposomal drug delivery systems including its underlying mechanics. In addition, the construction of a pulsed high-voltage rotating electromagnet is demonstrated based on a nested Helmholtz coil design. Although lots of different drug delivery mechanisms can be used, fast drug delivery is very important to utilize drug molecules that are short-lived under physiological conditions. Techniques that can release model molecules under physiological conditions could play an important role to discover the pharmacokinetics of short-lived substances in the body. In this thesis, an experimental method is developed for the fast release of the liposomes’ payload without a significant increase in (local) temperatures. This goal is achieved by using short magnetic pulses to disrupt the lipid bilayer of liposomes loaded with magnetic nanoparticles. This thesis also demonstrates that pulsed magnetic fields can generate ultrasound from colloidal superparamagnetic nanoparticles. Generating ultrasound remotely by means of magnetic fields is an important technological development to circumvent some of the drawbacks of the traditional means of ultrasound generation techniques. In this thesis, it is demonstrated that ultrasound is generated from colloidal superparamagnetic nanoparticles when exposed to pulsed and alternating magnetic fields. Furthermore, a comparison between inhomogeneous and homogeneous magnetic fields indicates that both homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic fields could be important for efficient ultrasound generation; however, the latter is more important for dilute colloidal dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles. In strong magnetic fields, the ultrasound generated from the colloidal magnetic nanoparticles shows reasonable agreement with the magnetostriction effect commonly observed for bulk ferromagnetic materials. At low magnetic fields, the colloidal magnetic nanoparticle dispersion produces considerable amount of ultrasound when exposed to a.c. magnetic fields in the 20−5000 kHz frequency range. It is expected that the ultrasound generated from magnetic nanoparticles will have applications toward the acoustic induction of bioeffects in cells and manipulating the permeability of biological membranes

Le rythme thêta est un rythme cérébral associé à l’activité locomotrice et au sommeil paradoxal. Bien que son implication dans la communication entre régions du cerveau et processus mnésiques ait largement été démontrée, il persiste un manque de données extensives dû à la difficulté d’imager l’ensemble de l’activité cérébrale dans des conditions naturelles de locomotion et d’exploration. Dans cette thèse, j’ai développé une approche qui combine l’enregistrement des potentiels de champs locaux à l’imagerie ultrasonore fonctionnelle (fUS) sur l’animal en mouvement libre. Pour la première fois, j’ai pu révéler les réponses hémodynamiques associées au rythme thêta dans la plupart des structures du système nerveux central avec de bonnes résolutions spatiale (100 x 100 x 400 μm) et temporelle (200 ms). Pendant la locomotion et le sommeil, les variations hémodynamiques de l’hippocampe, du thalamus dorsal et du cortex (rétrosplenial, somatosensoriel) corrèlent fortement avec la puissance instantanée du signal thêta hippocampique, avec un décalage temporel variant de 0.7 s à 2.0 s selon les structures. De manière intéressante, les rythmes gamma hippocampiques moyen (55-95 Hz) et rapide (100-150 Hz) expliquent la variance des signaux hémodynamiques mieux que le seul rythme thêta, alors que le rythme gamma lent (30-50 Hz) est non pertinent. L’hyperémie fonctionnelle de l’hippocampe suit séquentiellement la boucle tri-synaptique (gyrus denté - région CA3 - région CA1) et se renforce considérablement à mesure que la tâche progresse. Lors du sommeil paradoxal, j’ai observé une hyperémie tonique globale ainsi que des activations phasiques de grande amplitude initiées dans le thalamus et terminant dans les aires corticales, que nous avons appelées “poussées vasculaires”. De fortes bouffées d’activité gamma rapide (100-150 Hz) précèdent de manière robuste ces poussées vasculaires, l’inverse n’étant pas vrai. Dans l’ensemble, ces résultats révèlent la dynamique spatio-temporelle des signaux hémodynamiques associés à la locomotion et au sommeil paradoxal et suggèrent un lien fort entre rythmes thêta, gamma rapide et activité vasculaire globale / Theta rhythm is a prominent oscillatory pattern of EEG strongly associated with active locomotion and REM sleep. While it has been shown to play a crucial role in communication between brain areas and memory processes, there is a lack of extensive data due to the difficulty to image global brain activity during locomotion behavior. In this thesis, I developed an approach that combines local field potential recordings (LFP) and functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) to unrestrained rats. For the first time, I could image the hemodynamic responses associated with theta rhythm in most central nervous system (CNS) structures, with high spatial (100 x 100 x 400 μm) and temporal (200 ms) resolutions. During running and REM sleep, hemodynamic variations in the hippocampus, dorsal thalamus and cortices (S1BF, retrosplenial) correlated strongly with instantaneous theta power, with a delay ranging from 0.7 to 2.0 s after theta peak. Interestingly, mid (55-95 Hz) and high gamma (100-150 Hz) instantaneous power better explained hemodynamic variations than mere theta activity, while low-gamma (30-50 Hz) did not. Hippocampal hyperaemia followed sequentially the trisynaptic circuit (dentate gyrus - CA3 region - CA1 region) and was considerably strengthened as the task progressed. REM sleep revealed brain-wide tonic hyperaemia, together with phasic high-amplitude vascular activation starting in the dorsal thalamus and fading in cortical areas, which we referred to as “vascular surges”. Strong bursts of hippocampal high gamma (100-150 Hz) robustly preceded these surges, while the opposite was not true. Taken together, these results reveals the spatio-temporal dynamics of hemodynamics associated with locomotion and REM sleep and suggest a strong link between theta, high-gamma rhythms and brain-wide vascular activity.

La recherche de critères de vieillissement des revêtements de protection sur le long terme est nécessaire dans de nombreuses configurations industrielles. Ce travail présente l'étude de l'évolution de l'élasticité de revêtements de peinture sur plaque métallique par réflectométrie ultrasonore pour détecter de façon non destructive l'endommagement induit lors de tests de vieillissement thermique accéléré. La modélisation du pouvoir réflecteur permet d'identifier, dans une certaine gamme de fréquence, un mode particulier dont la valeur de l'angle critique est préférentiellement sensible à la rigidité de la couche en bon accord avec les tests réalisés sur des revêtements de 100µm de peinture sur plaque d'acier. Cette méthode est appliquée sur des échantillons étuvés à 80°C et 110°C durant 4000 heures. En fonction de la température, la mesure quotidienne de la position de cet angle critique permet de suivre le temps nécessaire au séchage complet des revêtements suite à l'évaporation du solvant. Au-delà, les variations de cette position angulaire indiquent, pour les modules élastiques de la peinture, une légère augmentation de moins de 2%. L'altération de la structure chimique détectée par mesures de température de transition vitreuse et de concentration de certains marqueurs (FTIR) se traduit donc par des modifications faibles d'élasticité nécessitant une résolution angulaire inférieure à 0,1°. Pour mieux différencier la rigidité de ces échantillons suite au vieillissement thermique, la sensibilité nécessaire est obtenue en réalisant une excursion en température autour de l'ambiante de quelques °C durant les mesures de réflectométrie. / The determination of paint coating's ageing criteria after long term service is necessary in many industrial configurations. In this work, we have studied by ultrasonic reflectometry the evolution of the elasticity of paint coated on a metallic plate in order to detect in a non destructive way the damage induced by thermal accelerated ageing tests. The simulation of the reflection coefficient identifies a particular mode whose critical angle is preferentially sensitive to the elasticity of the paint layer in a particular range of frequency. This result is in agreement with experimental tests performed on 100 µm thick paint coated on a steel plate. These samples are heated at 80°C and 110°C during 4000 hours. The everyday measurement of the evolution of the critical angle allows the identification of the time necessary to reach the complete drying of the paint coating. This parameter depends on the heating temperature. The total variations of these critical angular positions indicate a small increase less than 2% of the paint's elasticity moduli. In parallel, the change of the chemical structure is detected by the measurement of the glass transition temperature and the concentration of some markers identified by FTIR. This chemical change is linked to a small variation of elasticity implying an angular resolution less than 0.1°. For an easier differentiation of the rigidity of these thermally aged coatings, an enhanced sensibility is obtained by changing the temperature during the reflectometry measurements.

Nous avons développé des nanocapsules théranostiques combinant à la fois une fonction diagnostic d’amélioration de la détection tumorale et une fonction thérapeutique pour les traiter. Ces nanocapsules sont composées d'une enveloppe de polymère de PLGA-PEG et d'un noyau de bromure de perfluorooctyle, un liquide perfluoré, permettant la détection par IRM-19F. Nous avons encapsulé à l’intérieur de ces nanocapsules du paclitaxel, un anticancéreux de la classe des taxanes. L’encapsulation permet de s’affranchir de l’utilisation de Cremophor®, un tensioactif utilisé dans la formulation commerciale de Taxol® qui peut entrainer des effets indésirables graves pouvant aller jusqu’au choc anaphylactique. L’encapsulation a été optimisée en faisant varier les paramètres de formulation pour empêcher la recristallisation du paclitaxel et l'agrégation des nanocapsules. La formulation optimisée a été testée in vitro sur des cellules de cancer du côlon CT-26 et a montré une cytotoxicité équivalente à celle du Taxol®. La pharmacocinétique et la biodistribution ont été évaluées chez des souris nudes porteuse de tumeurs CT-26 en comparaison au Taxol®. Pour les nanocapsules, les paramètres pharmacocinétiques sont améliorés : on observe une circulation prolongée et une meilleure accumulation au niveau des tumeurs, telles que confirmées par IRM-19F. L’efficacité antitumorale des nanocapsules est améliorée par rapport au PBS et Taxol®. L’influence d’ultrasons a aussi été étudié et a permis d’améliorer le ciblage et de ralentir la croissance tumorale. Des études in vitro ont montré que ce ralentissement est lié à l'hyperthermie modérée induite qui favorise la perfusion tumorale et l’extravasation vasculaire et améliore l’accumulation du principe actif à l'intérieur de la tumeur. / We have developed theranostic nanocapsules combining a diagnostic moiety to improve tumor detection and a therapeutic moiety to treat them. These nanocapsules are composed of a polymer shell of PLGA-PEG and a core of a perfluorocarbon, namely perfluorooctyl bromide, detectable by 19F-MRI. Paclitaxel, a cytotoxic drug, was encapsulated in an attempt to reduce side-effects associated with excipients such as Cremophor® used in the commercial formulation (Taxol®). We optimized encapsulation of paclitaxel into nanocapsules by varying formulation parameters to prevent or limit paclitaxel recrystallization and nanocapsule aggregation. The optimized formulation was tested in vitro on CT-26 colon cancer cells and showed similar cytotoxicity as compared with Taxol®. Paclitaxel pharmacokinetics and biodistribution were evaluated in nude mice bearing CT-26 tumors comparing nanocapsules with Taxol®. For nanocapsules, pharmacokinetic parameters are improved leading to a longer circulation and resulting in an enhanced accumulation in tumors, as confirmed by 19F-MRI. In terms of efficacy, this enhanced passive targeting allows a slower tumor growth in animals treated with paclitaxel-loaded nanocapsules compared to PBS and Taxol®. Ultrasound were also used to further improve tumor targeting. We showed that when applying a safe ultrasound sequence, tumor growth was slower on our tumor model. In vitro studies showed that this decreased growth is due to mild hyperthermia favoring tumor perfusion and vascular extravasation leading in an enhance accumulation of drugs inside the tumor.