Comparison of Open Scanner Designs for Interventional Magnetic Particle Imaging

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) allows for the quantitative determination of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in vivo and offers exciting possibilities in functional, molecular and interventional imaging. In a simulation study, different open MPI scanner designs providing a varying extent of patient access (ranging from lateral to unrestricted) were assessed regarding their applicability to interventional MPI procedures. Criteria included power loss, size and shape of the field free point trajectory as well as spatial resolution. Each scanner design yields advantages and drawbacks, thus the decision for a certain scanner geometry depends on the individual circumstances and intended applications.