Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)-Gerät

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Matthias Taupitz
• Subject Area: Radiology
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 228235449

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a new imaging technique that visualizes the distribution of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) in three dimensions with specific properties (high susceptibility, nonlinear response) - so-called MPI tracers - with high spatial and temporal resolution and without interfering background signal. Initial results obtained with MPI using MNPs as blood pool markers suggest that the method has great potential for cardiovascular imaging and quantitative visualization of organ perfusion as well as for applications of molecular imaging and cell tracking. On the other hand, there exist at present no clinically approved MPI tracers that could be used to exploit this potential of MPI. Moreover, it is not yet fully understood how interactions of the MNPs with the biological matrix might affect their performance as MPI tracers. The applicant and his cooperation partner from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt as well as additional study groups who will be involved with projects of their own have proven their expertise in the following areas: development and application of MNPs in basic biomedical research with translation to clinical research; measurement technology for characterizing MNPs; and experimental in vivo imaging in cardiovascular medicine, neurosciences, and rheumatological research. The MPI scanner applied for is intended for conducting experimental research covering the following aspects: quantitative imaging using MPI; Development of MPI-MNPs as research agents, but with a view to later translation; exploration of potential indications for MPI in vascular imaging, quantitative perfusion of myocardium and other organs, sentinel lymph node imaging, inflammatory imaging, e.g., atherosclerosis, myocarditis, arthritis, and ischemic stroke.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)-Gerät
• Instrumentation Group: 3233 Nichtlineare Magnetpartikel Bildgebung, Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)