A method and system for treating a subject with a disorder which provides within the subject at least one photoactivatable drug for treatment of the subject, applies initiation energy from at least one source to generate inside the subject a preferential x-ray flux for generation of Cherenkov radiation (CR) light capable of activating at least one photoactivatable drug, and from the CR light, activating inside the subject the at least one photoactivatable drug to thereby treat the disorder.

A system (and associated method) for treating a human or animal body. The system has a photoactivatable drug for treating a first diseased site, a first pharmaceutically acceptable carrier including one or more phosphorescent or fluorescent agents which are capable of emitting an activation energy into the body which activates the photoactivatable drug, a first device which infuses the first diseased site with a photoactivatable drug and the first pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, a first energy source which irradiates the diseased site with an initiation energy to thereby initiate emission of the activation energy into the body, and a supplemental treatment device which administers one or both of a therapeutic drug or radiation to the body at a second diseased site or the first diseased site, to provide an immune system stimulation in the body.

Methods and systems for maintaining patient fluid balance during an extracorporeal cell treatment are disclosed. The method includes minimizing the amount of saline or other fluid that is returned to the donor. Saline used during priming of the fluid circuit may be used to increase the volume of the collected cells to arrive at a treatment-ready product with a suitable hematocrit.

Ophthalmic treatment systems and methods of using the systems are disclosed. The ophthalmic treatment systems include (a) a light source device; (b) at least one optical treatment head operatively coupled to the light source device, comprising a light source array, and providing at least one treatment light; and (c) a light control device, which (i) provides patterned or discontinuous treatment light projection onto an eye (e.g., the cornea and/or sclera of an eye); or (ii) adjusts intensity of part or all of the light source array, providing adjusted intensity treatment light projection onto an eye (e.g., the cornea and/or sclera of an eye). The at least one treatment light promotes corneal and/or scleral collagen cross-linking.

A plasmonics-active gold nanostar results from the following process: adding citrate stabilized gold seeds to a solution of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl.sub.4) under acidic conditions; and mixing a silver salt compound and a weak reducing agent simultaneously into the solution of HAuCl.sub.4 under conditions such that the plasmonics-active gold nanostar is produced. The plasmonics-active gold nanostar has a size of at least about 30 nm and up to about 80 nm, comprises a plasmon peak in the near-infrared region, comprises an optical label and a bioreceptor, and is a nucleic acid.

A method for treating a diseased site in a human or animal body is provided which includes injecting in a diseased site one or more phosphors which are capable of emitting ultraviolet or visible light into the body;

infusing the diseased site with a photoactivatable drug;

applying an initiation energy from an initiation energy source comprising an x-ray, gamma ray, or electron source to thereby initiate emission of ultraviolet or visible light into the body; and

controlling a dose of the initiation energy with a processor to produce (i) a cytotoxicity inside the diseased site of greater than 20% or (ii) a day-25 stable tumor volume,

wherein the processor is programmed to apply the initiation energy in a pulsed manner, wherein the initiation energy is delivered in either (i) a radiograph mode, or (ii) a pulsed fluoroscopy mode.

A method and a system for producing a change in a medium disposed in an artificial container. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one of a plasmonics agent and an energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy through the artificial container to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the plasmonics agent or the energy modulation agent.

A method for treating a disease in a subject in need thereof is provided involving infusing 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and a phosphor-containing drug activator into a diseased site in the subject; and delivering a dose of x-rays to the subject for production of the ultraviolet and visible light inside the subject to activate the photoactivatable drug and induce a persistent therapeutic response, the dose including a pulsed sequence of x-rays delivering from 0.5-2 Gy to the tumor, wherein the phosphor-containing drug activator includes an admixture of two or more phosphors capable of emitting ultraviolet and visible light upon interaction with x-rays; the two or more phosphors including Zn.sub.2SiO.sub.4:Mn.sup.2+ and (3Ca.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2Ca(F, Cl).sub.2: Sb.sup.3+, Mn.sup.2+) at a ratio (Zn.sub.2SiO.sub.4:Mn.sup.2+):(3Ca.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2Ca(F, Cl).sub.2: Sb.sup.3+, Mn.sup.2+)) of from 1:10 to 10:1; wherein each of the two or more phosphors have at least one coating selected from an ethyl cellulose coating or a diamond-like carbon coating.

A method and system for treating a subject with a disorder which provides within the subject at least one photoactivatable drug for treatment of the subject, applies initiation energy from at least one source to generate inside the subject a preferential x-ray flux for generation of Cherenkov radiation (CR) light capable of activating at least one photoactivatable drug, and from the CR light, activating inside the subject the at least one photoactivatable drug to thereby treat the disorder.

A method and system for treating a subject with a disorder which provides within the subject at least one photoactivatable drug for treatment of the subject, applies initiation energy from at least one source to generate inside the subject a preferential x-ray flux for generation of Cherenkov radiation (CR) light capable of activating at least one photoactivatable drug, and from the CR light, activating inside the subject the at least one photoactivatable drug to thereby treat the disorder.