System and Method For Magnetic-Nanoparticle, Hyperthermia Cancer Therapy

• US 20100292564A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Cantillon Murphy, Padraig J.
• Application Number:
  US12/781,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292564A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/406 using implantable thermoseeds or injected particles for localized hyperthermia preparations of seeds and particles A61K41/0052
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4804 Spatially selective measurement of temperature or pH

Abstract

A system and method is provided for performing and monitoring a magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia process on a subject having received a dose of a magnetic nanoparticle configured to bind to tissue within a target area of the subject. A low-field MRI system is utilized having a static magnetic field and a radio frequency (RF) system configured to receive MRI data from the target area. A hyperthermia system is coupled to the low-field MRI system and configured to generate a hyperthermia excitation field configured to cause the magnetic nanoparticle to rotate at a lag with respect to a magnetic field experienced by the magnetic nanoparticle to cause a temperature increase in the target area. The MRI system is configured to acquire medical imaging data from the target area and reconstruct images therefrom indicating at least one of a spatial distribution of the nanoparticle in and a temperature of the target area.

Claims

1. A system for performing and monitoring a magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia process on a subject having received a dose of a magnetic nanoparticle configured to bind to tissue within a target area of the subject, the system comprising:

a low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a static magnetic field configured to receive a subject arranged therein and a radio frequency (RF) system configured to receive MRI data from a target area in the subject;

a hyperthermia system coupled to the low-field MRI system and configured to generate a hyperthermia excitation field configured to cause a magnetic nanoparticle administered to the subject to rotate at a lag with respect to a magnetic field experienced by the magnetic nanoparticle to cause a temperature increase in the target area; and

wherein the MRI system is configured to acquire medical imaging data from the target area and reconstruct images therefrom indicating at least one of a spatial distribution of the nanoparticle in and a temperature of the target area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system is configured to generate the hyperthermia excitation field to be substantially orthogonal to the static magnetic field of the MRI system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system is configured to generate the hyperthermia excitation field that is at least one of a rotating and a sinusoidal magnetic field applied substantially perpendicular to the static magnetic field.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system is configured to generate the hyperthermia excitation field such that the hyperthermia excitation field and a magnetic moment of the magnetic nanoparticle are maintained substantially in a non-parallel alignment.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic nanoparticle is configured to operate as a contrast agent during the acquisition of the medical imaging data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system includes a tuner configured to tune at least one of a frequency and an amplitude of the hyperthermia excitation field to substantially match the a time constant of the magnetic nanoparticle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system is further configured to generate another hyperthermia excitation field to create an alternating magnetic field substantially transverse to the static magnetic field of the MRI system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the hyperthermia excitation field and the another hyperthermia excitation field are displaced by a quarter cycle to create a rotating hyperthermia excitation field.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system is configured to utilize the RF system of the MRI system to generate the hyperthermia excitation field.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the hyperthermia system includes an RF heating coil system configured to be driven in conjunction with a transmit and receive system of the MRI system by the RF system of the MRI system.

11. A method for performing a magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia (MPH) process on a subject having received a dose of a magnetic nanoparticle configured to bind to tissue within a target area of the subject and monitoring the MPH process using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the method comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring, with the MRI system having a static magnetic field, images of the target area to determine a desired binding of the magnetic nanoparticle to tissue within the target area;

b) producing, with the MRI system, a hyperthermia excitation field configured to cause the magnetic nanoparticle to rotate at a lag with respect to a magnetic field experienced by the magnetic nanoparticle to cause a temperature increase in the target area;

c) acquiring medical imaging data from the target area during the temperature increase in the target area; and

d) reconstructing images of the target area from the medical imaging data to provide real-time feedback indicating at least one of a spatial distribution of the nanoparticle in and a temperature of the target area.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting at least one of an amplitude, frequency, and phase of the hyperthermia excitation field based on at least one of a radius of the magnetic nanoparticle and a time constant of the magnetic nanoparticle.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein steps b) and c) are repeatedly interleaved such that the hyperthermia excitation field is interleaved with RF excitation pulses configured to acquire the medical imaging data.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the hyperthermia excitation field is substantially orthogonal to the static magnetic field.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the hyperthermia excitation field is at least one of rotating and sinusoidal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein step b) further includes producing another hyperthermia excitation field to create an alternating magnetic field substantially transverse to the static magnetic field of the MRI system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein step b) includes displacing the hyperthermia excitation field and the another hyperthermia excitation field by a quarter cycle to create the rotating hyperthermia excitation field.