2023/01/23 12:59:35

Magnetic relaxometry (Magnetorelaxometry)

2023: Russian scientists unveil future MRI and PET replacement

A team of scientists from the company developing ultra-sensitive magnetic sensors for medical applications at QLU, the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and several other universities has completed laboratory tests to use the sensor to analyze magnetic nanoparticles. The researchers were able to visualize the signal both in test tubes and in the tissues of living organisms. This fat is known on January 18, 2023.

The researchers expect that their development in the future will make it possible to develop an inexpensive and innovative system for the medical diagnosis of diseases, including cancer, at earlier stages.

Various methods of medical imaging of living organisms are used to diagnose a large number of diseases. These methods can be divided into magnetic resonance imaging MRI (), positron emission tomography (PET)() CT scan CT and others. MRI and PET are among the most informative methods for diagnosing malignant neoplasms, as well as vascular and dystrophic diseases. However, despite their advantages, these methods have certain disadvantages: for example, technical complexity, high cost and cumbersome equipment significantly reduce their availability.

Tests of a new type of sensor for analyzing magnetic nanoparticles have been completed.

An alternative is devices on ultra-sensitive magnetometers, the operation of which is based on the registration of signals (both relaxation time and residual magnetization) from contrast substances (special markers) introduced into the circulatory system. Typically, these markers are superparamagnetic or ferromagnetic nano- or microparticles. The magnetorelaxometry method aims to visualize magnetic inclusions by tracking their distribution in the body of a living creature. The advantage of the method is that it allows you to quickly and efficiently assess the intensity of blood flow, detect tumor nodes on the scale of tens of thousands of cells, as well as tissue ischemia sites.

In the study, the scientists used a magnetorelaxometry method to assess the distribution of nanoparticles in the body of laboratory mice after injection. For this, this type of sensor was first used to analyze magnetic nanoparticles both in test tubes and inside living organisms. The sensor is based on an iron-yttrium garnet microfilm with an optical signal recording system. The results showed that the sensor allows you to effectively record the residual magnetization of magnetic nanoparticles both in the test tube and locally introduced into the body of laboratory mice, which will help in the future to develop an inexpensive and innovative system of medical diagnostics, including oncology, at earlier stages of the disease.

The small size of the sensor, combined with the short recovery time after tripping the excitation coils, provide potentially high spatial and temporal resolution of measurements. In the medium term, increasing the sensitivity of our sensor, we are able to create a device by analogy with PET, which would allow us to quickly and efficiently, with minimal side effects, determine both the presence and location of cancer cells, as well as more accurately affect them, "added Maxim Ostras, head of QLU.

Earlier in 2021, the QLU team, together with scientists from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and the Higher School of Economics, demonstrated the work of a solid-state ultra-sensitive magnetometer operating at room temperature. Using a quantum sensor, the researchers were able to record the activity of brain neurons.

Magnetic relaxometry (Magnetorelaxometry)

2023: Russian scientists unveil future MRI and PET replacement

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