Mitsubishi Electric, Okayama University & Osaka University Develop Magnetic Particle Imaging Device Capable of Producing Images of Human Brain

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Okayama University and Osaka University’s Graduate School of Engineering announced that they have developed a magnetic particle imaging device capable of sensitive imaging of magnetic particles in an area equivalent in size to that of the human brain, in a project supported by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).

The magnetic particle imaging device deploys an alternating magnetic field generated by a coil to induce magnetic signals from magnetic particles injected into the body; it then uses these signals to produce a three dimensional image. A higher frequency alternating magnetic field enhances the sensitivity of signal detection. In compact devices designed for testing on small animals such as mice, which have already been commercialized, frequencies of approximately 25 kHz are used. One of the factors that hitherto hindered the practical application of this system in the treatment of humans was the extremely large size of the power supply unit needed to drive the much larger coil.

By leveraging its extensive electromagnetic technology know-how acquired through the development of various devices, and by fine-tuning the configuration of the coils that generate alternating magnetic fields and those dedicated to signal detection, Mitsubishi Electric has developed a process that minimizes extraneous signals (noise) that hinder the detection of magnetic signals. In order to use a magnetic particle imaging device to conduct imaging tests that can assess the likelihood of the development of Alzheimer’s prior to the onset of the disease, it is essential to enhance the sensitivity and resolution of the device. As a result, we have been able to develop the world's first1 magnetic particle imaging device with a coil inner diameter of 300 mm and a diagnostic area diameter of 180 mm capable of imaging objects the size of the human brain at low frequencies and with a small power supply.