Wednesday, April 24, 2024
4/24/2024
This proposal focuses on developing a novel specialized Magnetic Particle Imager. Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is an emerging non-invasive tomographic imaging modality; like CT or MRI, it could be applied in clinical and research settings as a safe diagnostic technique, but without ionizing radiation or toxic tracers. One of the major MPI challenges toward clinical translation has been the ability to scale up the coils to surround a human body while being able to generate and drive the sufficiently strong magnetic field gradient required for high spatial resolution. These requirements, however, demand prohibitively high power consumption in a device with cylindrical geometry; therefore, alternative topologies, such as an open geometry scanner, would be highly desirable. The goal of this renewal proposal is to develop a novel single-sided MPI imager and demonstrate in vivo cancer imaging in rodents. The single-sided device has all the hardware on one side of the imaging volume; therefore, such a device can be used equally well on small animals and humans for multidimensional diagnostic imaging and as an MPI spectrometer (MPS). In our unique approach, we will develop a single-sided MPI imager with much more promising field topology, namely, field-free line (FFL) as opposed to the more common and relatively easier to implement field-free point (FFP) geometry, for a potential 10-fold increase of SNR, more robust image reconstruction, and larger field of view. To date, we have built a first prototype of a single-sided scanner with the FFL geometry that consists of all the required coils in a unilateral configuration. We further validated our device by demonstrating 1D and 2D imaging as well as high sensitivity signal detection using a point-source phantom. Developing a fully capable 3D scanner based on single-sided geometry has direct clinical relevance in breast cancer imaging. We pursue two specific aims: 1) Develop a single-sided scanner for dynamic multislice 3D MPI imaging with mechanical rotation. The main objective of this aim is to demonstrate 3D imaging with our MPI scanner. We will upgrade the hardware and signal automation, such as the height control of the FFL for 3D imaging, gradient strength adjustment, and imaging sequence. 2) Validate scanner performance in tumor-bearing mice in in vivo imaging studies. The diagnostic capability of the MPI scanner, such as sensitivity and spatio-temporal resolution, will be analyzed using functionalized and nonfunctionalized tracers. The overall strength of the proposed research lies in developing the first ever MPI scanner with open geometry that could potentially be translated to clinical settings. Specifically, we hope to deliver a more sensitive and non-invasive tool for breast cancer screening that has a direct impact on women health.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
