Harmonization of quantitative magnetic particle imaging (MPI) with scanner-independent functional phantoms for preclinical investigations (harmoMPI)

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Silvio Dutz; Dr. Frank Wiekhorst
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 540326102

For the preclinical imaging modality Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), several different scanner architectures and systems have been developed worldwide for the specific and quantitative detection of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical applications. Currently, the clinical applicability of MPI is only demonstrated for special applications related to a specific MPI scanner type, since there are numerous alternative and parallel technical and methodological developments of MPI systems. Based on the successfully completed DFG project "Establishment of the quantitative MPI using application-related phantoms for preclinical investigations" (2018-2021), the goal of this project is to bring about harmonization between these MPI approaches. For this purpose, test objects, reference phantoms and characterization methods are to be developed in such a way that consistent comparisons between different MPI scanner types can be carried out. In addition to the geometric conditions of the respective scanner types, functional aspects shall also be taken into account for the first time, with which physiological tissue states and their pathophysiological changes can be simulated in a technically defined manner by considering changes in the binding state of the tracer (Color-MPI). This allows to determine the performance of the existing MPI scanner types and ultimately, to compare and ensure consistent quantitative MPI imaging. The planned project addresses four main sub-goals: (i) the establishment of platform-independent test objects for the harmonization of MPI imaging with different scanner systems, (ii) the development and application of a method for consistent performance measurements of different MPI scanner systems, (iii) the establishment of additive manufacturing of complex physiological phantoms from MPI-active MNP/polymer composites for application-oriented performance measurements between different MPI scanner systems, as well as (iv) the development and application of a planning tool to estimate the success chances of MPI imaging in preclinical animal experiments and the selection of a most suitable MPI scanner architecture for the envisaged experiments. With the achievement of these goals, a better comparability of MPI imaging will be reached to enable and accelerate cross-site preclinical studies. Ultimately, this propels a greater acceptance of MPI while reducing the number of animal experiments.

• DFG Programme: Further Instrumentation Related Funding