Magnetic Particle Imaging Using a Single Sided Field Free Line Scanner

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a novel biomedical imaging modality that images distributions of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Similar to other tracer-based imaging modalities, e.g. PET, and SPECT, the image constitutes hot spots of the distributions of SPIONs targeting a pathology with full signal quantification and no tissue contrast. In a typical MPI scanner the ac magnetic field is used to excite SPIONs, and dc magnetic field is used to create a field free region where the SPIONs response to the ac magnetic field is maximum. To date, MPI has not been translated to the clinic due to the challenges of scaling up the MPI hardware to wide bore. Therefore, we consider an alternative geometry of a single-sided scanner where all hardware is located on one side to accommodate imaging of larger subjects. Furthermore, in our device the gradient of the magnetic field is created by a pair of co-planar elongated coils that produce a field-free line. This topology potentially provides higher sensitivity and more robust image reconstruction by means of filtered back-projection (FBP). In this work we show imaging simulations that make use of the FBP method, which demonstrates the viability of our scanner, and present experimental images of one dimensional phantoms.