MAGNETIC INSIGHT, INC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase II: NIBIB

Description

Abstract The two dominant preclinical molecular imaging techniquesoptical imaging and nuclear imaginghave technical limitations that hamper their use in applications requiring high resolutionlongitudinal tracer imaging with absolute quantitationWe are developing a new molecular imaging modalityMagnetic Particle ImagingMPIwhich does not have these limitations and is capable ofnanomolar sensitivityabsolute quantitation of a tracerresolution independent of depthand monitoring a stable tracer for weeks to monthsThese capabilities make MPI complementary to existing molecular imaging techniques and give scientists a versatile new tool when imaging cancertracking therapeutic and immune cellsand imaging the cardiovascular systemMPI is best compared with nuclear medicinein that both modalitiesseeonly the injected tracerseeright through background tissueand are translatableThe MPI technique works by directly detecting the nonlinear magnetization of iron oxide tracers using lowfrequency magnetic fieldsMPI s method of direct detection is exquisitely sensitive and we have already demonstrated micro molar sensitivities in prototype systemsIndeedthe theoretical sensitivity limit of MPI may be as low as a single tagged cell in a voxelMPI is unrelated to Magnetic Resonance ImagingMRIand MPI scans cannot be acquired using a MRI imagerThis project aims to develop the first MPI system tailored for pre clinical researchers working with mouse and rat modelsThe proposed system will be the world s highest sensitivity and highest resolution tomographic MPI scanneras well as the first MPI system with integrated CTFirstwe will build a high strength field free line magnetic field gradient mounted to a rotating gantry to enable tomographic MPI imagingWe will then integrate CT to enable acquisition of a tissue reference imageLastwe will test the imager in vivo with mouse and rat models Narrative Magnetic Particle ImagingMPIis a new imaging modality whose unique contrastsensitivityand tracer longevity solves several limitations of current pre clinical imaging modalitiesUntil nowthese limitations have slowed researchers developing treatments for diseases such as heart failure and canceramong othersHere we propose to commercialize the first MPI CT imager tailored for pre clinical researchers working with mouse and rat models