Magnetic particle imaging using ferromagnetic magnetization

Abstract

Nanofluids, defined as fluids containing suspended solid nanoparticles, are potential systems for utilization in biomedical applications. Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) uses superparamagnetic nanofluids, e.g. a colloidal suspension of iron oxide particles. In this work a new biocompatible nanofluid based on pure and stable ferromagnetic carbon is investigated. Although this material has a relatively small value of coercive magnetic field, it does exhibit a true ferromagnetic behavior up to 300 K. We present results obtained from numerical investigations performed to calculate the impact of a ferromagnetic magnetization to the MPI signal chain. Moreover, by modeling ferromagnetic magnetization we prove here the general suitability of ferromagnetic materials for MPI. Due to the low saturation magnetization, however, MPI for ferromagnetic carbon will be possible only in the near future when realistic concentrations of the nanofluid ferromagnetic carbon will be experimentally obtainable.