Magnetic Measurement Techniques to Detect Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biomedicine: Challenges, Limitations, and Perspectives

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Contents of the Talk

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) are characterized by a high surface area, synthesis routes with precise tunability, easy surface modification, and most of all unique magnetic properties that can be exploited from outside by magnetic fields. These unique properties make the MNP the main constituent in powerful novel biomedical applications and therapy, examples are the generation of heat in external magnetic AC fields to kill cancer cells, the accumulation of biomolecules bound to functionalized MNP in strong gradient magnetic fields, or MNP used as tracer or contrast agent in tomographic imaging modalities.

PTB supports these developments by providing a profound metrological infrastructure for characterization, quantification, imaging, and standardization of the magnetic properties of MNP. In this talk, an overview is given about state-of-the-art magnetic measurement techniques to detect MNP in biomedical applications together with a discussion about challenges and limitations of the present magnetic measurement methods.

Short CV

Dr. rer. nat. Frank Wiekhorst was born in 1969 in Wilster, after his study of physics, diploma thesis and PhD at University of Hamburg, he first made a short excursion into marine science. Since 2004 he has been working at PTB in many third party funded projects focusing on measurement techniques for magnetic nanoparticles to be used in biomedical applications. In 2015 he became head of the newly established PTB working group “Metrology for Magnetic Nanoparticles” with presently 10 scientists working in the areas of characterization, quantification, imaging, and standardization of magnetic nanoparticles. For this, a broad infrastructure of established measurement techniques is maintained to determine physical and structural properties of the many magnetic nanoparticle systems that are used in biomedical applications. One focus of his work lies in the development and improvement of imaging modalities that are specifically detecting magnetic nanoparticles such as Magnetorelaxometry Imaging and Magnetic Particle Imaging. These activities are intended to provide a better understanding of the physical and physiological behavior of magnetic nanoparticles to propel their safe and effective biomedical application. .