Optimal Design and Implementation of a Novel Two-Dimensional Electromagnetic Navigation System That Allows Focused Heating of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Abstract

A magnetic drug-targeting system featuring real-time imaging, guidance, and local heating is required for more precise drug targeting and minimization of side effects. In this article, we present a novel electromagnetic navigation and heating system that not only guides and navigates magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with real-time imaging feedback, but also uses focused MNP heating to release drugs while monitoring the temperature. The magnetic field amplitude and magnetic gradient play key roles in our integrated system; we enhanced the gradient and field within a field of view of 30 x 30 mm. Performance was examined via simulation employing COMSOL Multiphysics software and verified experimentally. After optimization, the maximum gradients attained on the x and y axes are 4.15 and 2.23 T/m/mu(0), respectively, for the electromagnetic actuator mode, and 8.48 T/m/mu(0) for the magnetic particle imaging mode. The magnetic field amplitude for heating was 19.70 mT at 100 kHz. We then built a two-dimensional MNPs navigation/heating system to demonstrate the in vitro feasibility of our scheme; this afforded a 1-Hz navigation update rate during MNPs guidance in a Y-shaped channel and locally heated MNPs with temperature monitoring.