Multi-Frequency Magnetic Particle Imaging

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Volkmar Schulz
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441892463

The project focuses on the simulation, design and evaluation of a novel in vivo imaging method for nanomedicine based on Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI). The aim of this new method is to quantify the drug delivery of therapeutic agents in vivo for the field of nanotherapy, which would allow to predict and to optimize the success of nanotherapy in general. Currently, MPI is based on the spatially resolved measurement of the nonlinear distortion that occurs in the monofrequency excitation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs).Within this project, this approach will be extended by enabling multi-frequency excitation and thereby to be able to measure the relaxation properties (Neel and Brownian relaxation) of the SPIONs in vivo. This approach would allow is to distinguish circulating SPIONs from particles with restricted rotation, thus giving the option to quantify the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect as well as the uptake of the nanodrug into the cells in vivo. The project includes the design and evaluation of a novel field generator, the entire necessary software environment for generating and measuring different excitation waveforms, as well as the quantitative reconstruction of relaxation parameters from which further biologically relevant parameters (e.g. binding status and viscosity, pH value) and ambient temperature can be derived.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants