Imaging of Magnetic Particles by Magnetic Susceptibility Particle Mapping (MSPM)

The imaging of magnetic particles is highly relevant in many biomedical investigations, including disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Magnetic Susceptibility Particle Mapping (MSPM) has the potential to emerge as an important tool in this context, as it can be used to detect magnetic nanoparticles in a lab scale device. The system is based on magnetoelectric (ME) sensors that make use of the Delta-E effect, in combination with a permanent magnet, which generates a bias field for the sensor and at the same time magnetizes the SPIONs. The SPIONs in the sample are magnetized by the permanent magnet and generate an additional magnetic field, which is recorded by the ME sensor. To demonstrate the capability of the MSPM as an imaging technique, magnetic particle distributions are assessed in 3D printing scaffolds. In addition, 3D microtumors based on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were labelled with magnetic nanoparticles assessed by MSPM. The data show the potential of the device as well as new avenues towards a lab scale investigation of biomedically relevant samples at the standard lab scale.