Gareth Kafka with Robert Brown

Imaging by Magnetic Particles with a Nonlinear Field Response

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a procedure akin to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with a key fundamental difference. MRI is a noninvasive procedure which is used by doctors to form an image of the inside of a body. Aside from being expensive, however, the technique is fundamentally limited in resolution by the small signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). MPI would also be used as a method to image the body, but it also involves the introduction of magnetic particles into the sample. These particles have a nonlinear response to magnetic fields and could thus amplify the SNR and bind to the tissues of interest, giving very accurate spatial detail. The technique has the potential for very high resolution, but it is not yet a well understood effect. The goal of this project is to find a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Also, we will investigate the extent to which we may test the technique, in collaboration with the physics group in the Radiology Department. In general, we aim to improve our understanding of the theoretical model and our experimental capabilities for investigating the technique.