Magnetic Relaxometry

Superparamagnetic Relaxometry (SPMR) is a technology that utilizes SQUID sensors and superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) to detect cancer and other diseased tissues. SPMR offers high contrast in vivo since there is no superparamagnetic background, and bones and tissue are transparent to the magnetic fields. In SPMR measurements, a brief magnetizing pulse is used to align the NPs that have been conjugated to cancer targeting antibodies. NPs bound to the target cells loose the induced magnetic moment more slowly than NPs in circulation and the SQUID sensors can detect the decay of the NPs bound to the tumor.