Superparamagnetic coatings for magnetic particle imaging

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a novel imaging method with high potential in a variety of interesting medical applications. However, a bottleneck in MPI is the availability of optimal tracer material, the so-called SPIONs (superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles). In this contribution, we focus on techniques to prepare surgical instruments for visualization in MPI. In a first study, commercially available metallic anti-rust paints are used to coat PE films. In a second study, self-synthesized SPIONs have been suspended into acrylic paints and dried onto PE films. The films of both studies were analyzed with MPS (magnetic particle spectroscopy), where materials are subjected to a dynamic magnetic field. In conclusion, the coatings based on self-synthesized SPIONs show a superior magnetic behavior compared to commercial anti-rust coatings.