MOMENTUM+HYPER Magnetic Particle Imaging + Localised Hyperthermia Platform

该设备的目的是安装一种具有广泛能力的磁粒子成像(MPI)系统，该系统涵盖具有重大国家和全球重要性的广泛的多学科研究领域。该设备由Magic Insight Inc.提供，是一种将MPI与磁流体热疗(MFH)相结合的开创性研究工具。MPI是一种新兴的成像方式，它使用磁场梯度来检测体内低浓度的磁性纳米粒子示踪剂，而不考虑深度。与目前的MRI或CT等临床成像方式相比，这项技术具有许多优势。与其他模式不同，MPI示踪剂是直接成像的，这允许在没有背景信号的情况下进行高灵敏度、定量和实时检测。这种灵敏度允许高分辨率的功能成像，在其他成像方式失败的区域提供明亮的对比度和检测；例如肺、肝脏、肠道、骨骼或肌腱。MFH还使用磁场梯度，但频率更高，以产生磁性纳米颗粒的局部加热，可用于各种治疗应用，最显著的是癌症的消融治疗，肿瘤组织通过提高局部温度而被破坏。这一独特的系统集成了MPI和MFH，用于图像引导消融治疗研究。此外，该独特的系统配备了用于先进的磁性材料优化以及先进的图像重建和信号增强研究的软件包。系统能力的独特组合将使研究跨越广泛的兴趣：(1)先进材料发现：MPI示踪剂、MFH试剂和用于组合治疗和诊断的复合图像引导药物递送剂的无机和磁性材料合成，称为治疗声学(Theranostics)(2)设备优化：医疗保健研究中的计算机科学和数学，图像重建和多模式成像研究，以及物理和工程研究，以实现从临床前设备开发到临床设备开发的转换(3)材料生物科学评估：材料生物安全和有效性、药物安全性科学以及再生药物创新技术的开发。该设备将在英国的研究领域提供一个新的设施，与EPSRC医疗保健技术主题和EPSRC健康国家繁荣成果的“优化诊断和治疗”和“发展未来治疗技术”主题紧密结合。利物浦大学是设备设施的理想地点，在设备所涵盖的所有研究主题上正在进行重大投资。外部学术和行业用户将可以使用设备，来自伦敦大学学院、布里斯托尔、约克、剑桥、基尔和华威的研究人员都表达了他们计划使用设备的情况。此外，该设备将支持与业界的合作研究，与英国的中小企业和全球行业用户进行接触。用户参与和用户基础扩大将受益于计划的年度研究人员会议、重点讲习班和供应商支持的大师班，加强用户技能和科学知识，并改善整体用户体验。设备战略问题，如进入优先权和研究影响的产生，将由学术设备指导委员会管理，而设备的操作方面将由技术委员会管理，该委员会将监督设备的平稳运行、系统维护以及便利和培训新用户。

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 medicineThe 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.