Surveillance MPI Scanner for Stroke Detection on the Intensive Care Stroke Unit

Scientists at the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH) and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) have developed a new diagnostic tomographic imaging system that enables access to cerebral blood flow at short intervals and thus quickly indicates a possible stroke. The study "Human-sized Magnetic Particle Imaging for Brain Applications" was published on the 26th of April 2019 in the renowned journal Nature Communications.

On the road to full real-time 3D imaging using approved clinical tracers, the MPI scanner has been extensively upgraded from 2019 to 2023. Several publications document the process and highlight the development of new components, like the study "Heat it up: Thermal stabilization by active heating to reduce impedance drifts in capacitive matched networks", "Gradient power reducing using pulsed selection-field sequences" or "Resonant inductive coupling network for human-sized magnetic particle imaging". A thorough exploration is presented in "System characterization of a human-sized 3D real-time magnetic particle imaging scanner for cerebral applications".

Prof. Tobias Knopp and Dr. Matthias Gräser with the surveillance imager

Project Publications

[191087]
Title: System Characterization of a Human-Sized 3D Real-Time Magnetic Particle Imaging Scanner for Cerebral Applications.
Written by: F. Thieben, F. Foerger, F. Mohn, N. Hackelberg, M. Boberg, J.-P. Scheel, Möddel, M. Graeser, and T. Knopp
in: <em>Communications Engineering</em>. (2024).
Volume: <strong>3</strong>. Number: (1),
on pages: 47
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DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00192-6
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Note: article, openaccess, brainimager

Abstract: Abstract Since the initial patent in 2001, the Magnetic Particle Imaging community has endeavored to develop a human-applicable Magnetic Particle Imaging scanner, incorporating contributions from various research fields. Here we present an improved head-sized Magnetic Particle Imaging scanner with low power consumption, operated by open-source software and characterize it with an emphasis on human safety. The focus is on the evaluation of the technical components and on phantom experiments for brain perfusion. We achieved 3D single- and multi-contrast imaging at 4 Hz frame rate. The system characterization includes sensitivity, resolution, perfusion and multi-contrast experiments as well as field measurements and sequence analysis. Images were acquired with a clinically approved tracer and within human peripheral nerve stimulation thresholds. This advanced scanner holds potential as a tomographic imager for diagnosing conditions such as ischemic stroke (different stages) or intracranial hemorrhage in environments lacking electromagnetic shielding, such as the intensive care unit.