Using MicroCT Imaging to Quantify Heat Generation Distribution Induced by Magnetic Nanoparticles

摘要

In the past decade, there have been renewed interests in using magnetic nanoparticles as heating agents when subjected to an alternating magnetic field in cancer treatments. Due to the technical advancement in manufacturing nano-sized magnetic particles, nanoparticle hyperthermia has emerged as an attractive alternative to costly and risky surgical procedures because of its few associated complications and targeted delivery of thermal energy to the tumor. Our previous studies have shown the feasibility of elevating the temperature of the entire tumor above certain threshold using direct injection of nano-fluid at multiple injection sites, while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue. The success of this approach depends strongly on the nanoparticle distribution after injection, which is affected by the injection strategies including injection rate and injection amount of the ferrofluid. Since tissue is typically opaque, the nanoparticle distribution is usually indirectly quantified via temperature distribution measured in tumor. There lacks a direct imaging technique to study the particle distribution.