A Novel Hand-Held Multi-Color Magnetic Particle Imaging Device Based on Rapid Frequency Conversion

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Multi-color Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) enables sensitive, non-invasive imaging of multiple superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) for molecular marker detection.
• Existing hand-held MPI devices have limitations due to fixed drive frequencies, hindering optimal matching with diverse SPIO magnetic responses and impacting multi-color imaging efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hand-held rapid frequency conversion based multi-color MPI (RFC-MPI) device.
• To enhance spatial resolution and multi-color imaging capabilities by adapting to nonlinear magnetic responses of SPIOs.

Main Methods:

• Designed a hand-held RFC-MPI device with a rapid frequency conversion mechanism.
• The device adjusts drive frequency based on real-time magnetic response, expanding system matrix information.

Main Results:

• Achieved a spatial resolution of 27 mm and an imaging speed of 1 frame/s with an 8 mm scanning depth.
• Demonstrated potential for human scanning with a 22 cm × 22 cm phantom scan.
• Validated SPIO quantification accuracy at 96.58% in mouse breast tumor models.

Conclusions:

• The RFC-MPI device demonstrates excellent in vivo imaging performance through innovative design and rapid frequency conversion.
• Simulation and phantom experiments confirm the method's effectiveness for improved multi-color MPI.
• The device enhances spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy, paving the way for future clinical MPI applications.