MOMENTUM+HYPER Magnetic Particle Imaging + Localised Hyperthermia Platform

The aim for this equipment is to install a Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) system with wide ranging capabilities spanning a broad range of multi-disciplinary research areas of significant national and global importance. The equipment provided by Magnetic Insight inc. is a ground-breaking research tool that integrates MPI with Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia (MFH). MPI is an emerging imaging modality which uses magnetic fields gradients to detect low concentrations of magnetic nanoparticle tracers in vivo regardless of depth. The technology has many advantages over current, clinical imaging modalities such as MRI or CT. Unlike in other modalities, MPI tracers are imaged directly, which allows for highly sensitive, quantitative, and real-time detection with no background signal. Such sensitivity allows for high resolution, functional imaging, providing bright contrast and detection in areas where other imaging modalities fail; e.g. lungs, liver, gut, bone or tendon. MFH also uses magnetic field gradients, but at higher frequencies, to produce localised heating of magnetic nanoparticle, which can be used for various therapeutic applications, most notably ablation therapy for cancer where tumour tissues are destroyed through elevated local temperature increase. The unique system integrates both MPI and MFH for image guided ablation therapy study. Furthermore, the unique system comes equipped with software packages for both advanced magnetic material optimisation and advanced image reconstruction and signal enhancement studies. The unique mix of system capabilities will enable research spanning wide ranging interest:

(1) Advanced Materials Discovery: inorganic and magnetic material synthesis of MPI tracers, MFH agents and composite image guided drug delivery agents for combined therapy and diagnostics, known as theranostics
(2) Device Optimisation: computer science and mathematics in healthcare research into image reconstruction and multimodal imaging studies, as well as physics and engineering research towards the translation from preclinical to clinical devise development
(3) Material Bio-Science Evaluation: bio-science research in material bio-safety and efficacy, drug safety science and the development of innovative technologies for regenerative medicine

The equipment would provide a novel facility within the UK research landscape, aligned strongly with the EPSRC Healthcare Technologies theme and the "Optimise Diagnosis and Treatment" and "Develop Future Therapeutic Technologies" themes of the EPSRC Healthy Nation Prosperity Outcome. The University of Liverpool is an ideal location for the equipment facility, with ongoing major investments across all the research themes the equipment encompasses.

The equipment will be accessible to external academic and industry users, with researchers from UCL, Bristol, York, Cambridge, Keele and Warwick each expressing their planned equipment use. Furthermore, the equipment will enable collaborative research with industry, engaging with both UK based SMEs and global industry users. User engagement and user base expansion will benefit from planned Annual Researcher Meeting, focussed workshops and vendor-supported masterclasses, strengthening user skillsets and scientific knowledge and enhancing the overall user experience.

Equipment strategic issues, such as priority of access and research impact generation, will be managed by an academic equipment steering committee, while the operational aspects of the equipment will be managed by technical committee who will oversee equipment smooth operations, system upkeep, and facilitating and training new users.