the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (T.I.C.) : 2024 Anders Gustav Ekeberg Prize Winner

🏆 2024 Anders Gustav Ekeberg Prize Winner

Innovation in Tantalum Awarded to CT Imaging Research Team

The 2024 Ekeberg Prize has been awarded to Professor Peter J. Bonitatibus Jr. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), in collaboration with
Dr. Benjamin M. Yeh and Yuxin Sun (University of California, San Francisco), for their groundbreaking development of a
tantalum oxide nanoparticle-based contrast agent for computed tomography (CT) imaging.

This novel injectable agent — known as TaCZ — delivers significantly improved performance over traditional iodinated CT contrast materials.
The team’s engineering of a zwitterionic carboxybetaine shell provides low toxicity, rapid renal clearance, and vivid vascular imaging,
even in obese patients or anatomically complex scans.

Key Highlights of the Innovation:

• Outstanding vascular contrast and visibility at high X-ray energies
• Enables “multi-colour” imaging through dual-energy CT (DECT)
• Low viscosity and osmolality improve safety and comfort
• Clinically relevant clearance profile with negligible organ retention

This award recognises over a decade of collaborative research dedicated to transforming CT diagnostics.
The TaCZ platform has vast potential for advanced diagnostic imaging, particularly in oncology, vascular disease, and multi-energy CT.

📥 Download the Full Paper

To explore the full research paper and technical detail behind this innovation, download the submission PDF here:

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Download PDF: 2024 Ekeberg Prize Winner – Bonitatibus et al.