Browsing by Subject "Magnetic nanoparticle"

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    Magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications
    (2012-12) Jing, Ying
    Nanotechnology is revolutionizing human's life. Synthesis and application of magnetic nanoparticles is a fast burgeoning field which has potential to bring significant advance in many fields, for example diagnosis and treatment in biomedical area. Novel nanoparticles to function efficiently and intelligently are in desire to improve the current technology. We used a magnetron-sputtering-based nanocluster deposition technique to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles in gas phase, and specifically engineered nanoparticles for different applications.Alternating magnetic field heating is emerging as a technique to assist cancer treatment or drug delivery. We proposed high-magnetic-moment Fe3Si particles with relatively large magnetic anisotropy energy should in principle provide superior performance. Such nanoparticles were experimentally synthesized and characterized. Their promising magnetic properties can contribute to heating performance under suitable alternating magnetic field conditions. When thermal energy is used for medical treatment, it is ideal to work in a designed temperature range. Biocompatible and "smart" magnetic nanoparticles with temperature self-regulation were designed from both materials science and biomedicine aspects. We chose Fe-Si material system to demonstrate the concept. Temperature dependent physical property was adjusted by tuning of exchange coupling between Fe atoms through incorporation of various amount of Si. The magnetic moment can still be kept in a promising range. The two elements are both biocompatible, which is favored by in-vivo medical applications. A combination of "smart" magnetic particles and thermo-sensitive polymer were demonstrated to potentially function as a platform for drug delivery. Highly sensitive diagnosis for point-of-care is in desire nowadays. We developed composition- and phase-controlled Fe-Co nanoparticles for bio-molecule detection. It has been demonstrated that Fe70Co30 nanoparticles and giant magnetoresistance sensor make a successful integrated system for bio-molecule detection. In addition, we proposed the concept of "magnetic coloring": magnetic nanoparticles with different M-H loop form an archive of labels for detection of multiple molecules in the same sample. The composition- and phase- controlled Fe-Co particles are candidate to serve this application. Magnetic nanoparticles can also play a role in "green" catalysis. We synthesized core-shell structured nanoparticle with core rich in Fe, and shell rich in FeSiO, which have capability for phtocatalysis and magnetic recycling. The magnetic core enables recycling of catalysts by applying an external magnetic field. The shell shows good optical absorption which indicates the possibility of phtocatalysis. A big challenge for nanoparticles synthesized in gas phase is to transfer them into aqueous environment, especially in biomedical field. We experimented different approaches to modify the surface of magnetic nanoparticles. A direct way was developed to introduce functional molecule onto the surface of nanoparticles in vacuum. A new design of nanoparticle collection was implemented to assist surface modification in vacuum and to enable large quantity of manufacturing.
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    Understanding the benefits and limitations of magnetic nanoparticle heating for improved applications in cancer hyperthermia and biomaterial cryopreservation
    (2013-12) Etheridge, Michael Laurence
    The current work focused on the ability of magnetic nanoparticles to produce heat in the presence of an applied alternating magnetic field. Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia applications utilize this behavior to treat cancer and this approach has received clinical approval in the European Union, but significant developments are necessary for this technology to have a chance for wider-spread acceptance.Here then we begin by investigating some of the important limitations of the current technology. By characterizing the ability of superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic nanoparticles to heat under a range of applied fields, we are able to determine the optimal field settings for clinical application and make recommendations on the highest impact strategies to increase heating. In addition, we apply these experimentally determined limits to heating in a series of heat transfer models, to demonstrate the therapeutic impact of nanoparticle concentration, target volume, and delivery strategy.Next, we attempt to address one of the key questions facing the field- what is the impact of biological aggregation on heating? Controlled aggregate populations are produced and characterized in ionic and protein solutions and their heating is compared with nanoparticles incubated in cellular suspensions. Through this investigation we are able to demonstrate that aggregation is responsible for up to a 50% decrease in heating. However, more importantly, we are able to demonstrate that the observed reductions in heating correlate with reductions in longitudinal relaxation (T1) measured by sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), providing a potential platform to account for these aggregation effects and directly predict heating in a clinical setting.Finally, we present a new application for magnetic nanoparticle heating, in the thawing of cryopreserved biomaterials. A number of groups have demonstrated the ability to rapidly cool and preserve tissues in the vitreous state, but crystallization and cracking failures occur upon the subsequent thaw. Magnetic nanoparticles offer a potential solution to these issues, through their ability to provide rapid, uniform heating, and we illustrate this through heating in several cryoprotectant solutions and by modeling the effects of heating at the bulk and micro-scales.