Multi-contrast magnetic particle imaging for tomographic pH monitoring using stimuli-responsive hydrogels
Autor(in); Institution
Kluwe, Bruno; 8.2, Biosignale, PTB-Berlin; Fraunhofer IMTE, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering, Lübeck, GERMANY
Ackers, J.; Fraunhofer IMTE, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering, Lübeck, GERMANY
Graeser, M.; Fraunhofer IMTE, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering, Lübeck, GERMANY; Chair for Metrology, University of Rostock, Rostock, GERMANY
Bakenecker, A. C.; Fraunhofer IMTE, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering, Lübeck, GERMANY; Medical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, GERMANY
Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a tomographic imaging technique which determines the spatial distribution of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Multi-contrast MPI provides the ability to detect environmental conditions of MNPs, such as temperature or viscosity. One parameter that has not been investigated but shows high potential for medical diagnosis is the pH value, as it is an indicator of inflamed or tumorous tissue. In this work, we present an approach to resolve the pH value using multi-contrast MPI. Our proof-of-concept is based on a stimuli-responsive, magnetic hydrogel that exhibits reversible swelling in response to a pH change. The pH contrast is generated indirectly via the pH-responsive hydrogel swelling modulating the signal of embedded MNPs. Magnetic particle spectrometry measurements show that the hydrogels’ magnetic response correlates with the pH value, which could provide a new way of contactless pH monitoring. Finally, the feasibility of resolving different pH values in a multi-contrast MPI image is demonstrated.
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Open Access Gold
Rechteinformation
CC BY 4.0 ; Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Themenbereich der Metrologie
Metrologie in der Medizin
Förderinformationen (1)
Förderername: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Förderer ID: 0000 0001 2096 9829
Förderer ID Typ: ISNI
Förderprogramm: harmoMPI
Förderungsnummer: 540326102
Förderinformationen (2)
Förderername: EU (EFRE) and the State Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Zitierung
Kluwe, B., Ackers, J., Graeser, M., & Bakenecker, A. C. (2026). Multi-contrast magnetic particle imaging for tomographic pH monitoring using stimuli-responsive hydrogels. Communications Engineering, 5(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-026-00586-8
