Fundamentals and applications of magnetic particle imaging

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a new medical imaging technique which performs a direct measurement of magnetic nanoparticles, also known as superparamagnetic iron oxide. MPI can acquire quantitative images of the local distribution of the magnetic material with high spatial and temporal resolution. Its sensitivity is well above that of other methods used for the detection and quantification of magnetic materials, for example, magnetic resonance imaging. On the basis of an intravenous injection of magnetic particles, MPI has the potential to play an important role in medical application areas such as cardiovascular, oncology, and also in exploratory fields such as cell labeling and tracking. Here, we present an introduction to the basic function principle of MPI, together with an estimation of the spatial resolution and the detection limit. Furthermore, the above-mentioned medical applications are discussed with respect to an applicability of MPI.