Francesco d'Errico, PhD

Research Scientist of Diagnostic Radiology

Contact

Address:
Yale University, School of Medicine
Magnetic Resonance Research Center
TAC, N140, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8043
United States

Email: francesco.derrico@yale.edu
Telephone: (203) 785-6679
Fax: (203) 785-6643

Education

1996 Post-graduate Diploma in Health/Medical Physics, University of Pisa, Italy.

1995 Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Physics (PhD), University of Pisa, Italy.

1990 Doctor of Nuclear Engineering (D.Eng), University of Pisa, Italy.

Research Interests

My current research concerns a novel, image-guided drug delivery technology based on intravenously injectable emulsions of perfluorocarbon droplets containing therapeutic agents. The micron-size droplets are superheated (slightly above their boiling point) and they can be vaporized by exposure to ultrasound, which permits the spatially and temporally controlled release of their drug content into a target region. The droplets are encapsulated with surfactants, protecting them from the mechanical stresses due to inoculation and circulation in the bloodstream. Therefore they do not vaporize spontaneously, but only when triggered externally. The use of ultrasound as a triggering modality enables the integration of targeted delivery and imaging. The use of controlled and localized release is expected to increase the therapeutic index by minimizing systemic non-specific exposure to the drug.

Selected Publications

1. d'Errico F, Di Fulvio A, Maryanski M, Selici S. and Torrigiani M. Optical readout of superheated emulsions. Radiat. Meas 43(2-6) 432-436 (2008).
2. d'Errico, F. Status of radiation detection with superheated emulsions Radiat Prot Dosimetry, 120, 475 - 479 (2006).
3. d'Errico, F., Prokofiev, A., Sannikov, A.V., Schuhmacher, H. High-energy neutron detection and spectrometry with superheated emulsions. Nucl. Instr. Methods. A 505(1-2) 50-53 (2003).
4. d'Errico, F., Nath., R., Holland, S.K., Lamba, M., Patz, S. and Rivard, M.J. A Position Sensitive Neutron Spectrometer/Dosimeter Based on Pressurized Superheated Drop (Bubble) Detectors. Nucl. Instr. Methods A476(1-2) 113-118 (2002).
5. Apfel, R.E., and d'Errico, F. A Neutron Spectrometer Based on Temperature Variations in Superheated Drop Compositions. Nucl. Instr. Methods A476 (1-2) 298-303 (2002).
6. Pratt, R., Schmithorst, V., Lamba, M., Dardzinski, B., Holland, S.K., d'Errico, F., and Nath R. System for Automated Magnetic Resonance Imaging of a Superheated Emulsion Chamber for Brachytherapy Dosimetry. Rev. Sci. Instruments 73(6) 2417-2421 (2002).
7. d'Errico, F. Radiation Dosimetry and Spectrometry with Superheated Emulsions. Nucl. Instr. Methods B 184(1-2) 229-254 (2001).
8. d'Errico, F., Nath, R. and Nolte, R. A Model for Photon Detection and Dosimetry with Superheated Emulsions. Med. Phys. 27 (2) 401-409 (2000).
9. d'Errico, F. Fundamental Properties of Superheated Drop (Bubble) Detectors. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 84(1-4) 55-62 (1999).
10. d'Errico, F., Nath, R., Lamba, M., Holland S.K. A Position Sensitive Superheated Emulsion Chamber for Three-Dimensional Photon Dosimetry. Phys. Med. Biol. 43, 1147-1158(1998).

For a further list of d'Errico's publications, please see PubMed.