A simulation study on the resolution and sensitivity of magnetic particle imaging

TLDR

The study introduces a detailed simulation framework to evaluate magnetic particle imaging for resolution and sensitivity. The simulation employs a large scanner capable of imaging human bodies, with clinically representative field strength and noise settings. The simulations demonstrate good resolution, rapid acquisition, and high sensitivity across a range of tracer concentrations, acquisition times, tracer properties, and fields of view, and derive scaling laws to predict image quality.

Abstract

This paper presents the first detailed simulation approach to evaluate the proposed imaging method called 'magnetic particle imaging' with respect to resolution and sensitivity. The simulated scanner is large enough to accept human bodies. Together with the choice of field strength and noise the setup is representative for clinical applications. Good resolution, fast image acquisition and high sensitivity are demonstrated for various tracer concentrations, acquisition times, tracer properties and fields of view. Scaling laws for the simple prediction of image quality under the variation of these parameters are derived.