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Displacement Patterns in Magnetomotive Ultrasound Explored by Finite Element Analysis

Sjöstrand, Sandra LU ; Evertsson, Maria LU ; Atile, Esayas ; Andersson, Roger LU ; Svensson, Ingrid LU ; Cinthio, Magnus LU and Jansson, Tomas LU (2022) In Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 48(2). p.333-345
Abstract

Magnetomotive ultrasound is an emerging technique that enables detection of magnetic nanoparticles. This has implications for ultrasound molecular imaging, and potentially addresses clinical needs regarding determination of metastatic infiltration of the lymphatic system. Contrast is achieved by a time-varying magnetic field that sets nanoparticle-laden regions in motion. This motion is governed by vector-valued mechanical and magnetic forces. Understanding how these forces contribute to observed displacement patterns is important for the interpretation of magnetomotive ultrasound images. Previous studies have captured motion adjacent to nanoparticle-laden regions that was attributed to diamagnetism. While diamagnetism could give rise... (More)

Magnetomotive ultrasound is an emerging technique that enables detection of magnetic nanoparticles. This has implications for ultrasound molecular imaging, and potentially addresses clinical needs regarding determination of metastatic infiltration of the lymphatic system. Contrast is achieved by a time-varying magnetic field that sets nanoparticle-laden regions in motion. This motion is governed by vector-valued mechanical and magnetic forces. Understanding how these forces contribute to observed displacement patterns is important for the interpretation of magnetomotive ultrasound images. Previous studies have captured motion adjacent to nanoparticle-laden regions that was attributed to diamagnetism. While diamagnetism could give rise to a force, it cannot fully account for the observed displacements in magnetomotive ultrasound. To isolate explanatory variables of the observed displacements, a finite element model is set up. Using this model, we explore potential causes of the unexplained motion by comparing numerical models with earlier experimental findings. The simulations reveal motion outside particle-laden regions that could be attributed to mechanical coupling and the principle of mass conservation. These factors produced a motion that counterbalanced the time-varying magnetic excitation, and whose extent and distribution was affected by boundary conditions as well as compressibility and stiffness of the surroundings. Our findings emphasize the importance of accounting for the vector-valued magnetic force in magnetomotive ultrasound imaging. In an axisymmetric geometry, that force can be represented by a simple scalar expression, an oversimplification that rapidly becomes inaccurate with distance from the symmetry axis. Additionally, it results in an underestimation of the vertical force component by up to 30%. We therefore recommend using the full vector-valued force to capture the magnetic interaction. This study enhances our understanding of how forces govern magnetic nanoparticle displacement in tissue, contributing to accurate analysis and interpretation of magnetomotive ultrasound imaging.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Compressibility, Finite element model, Lymph node, Magnetomotive, Molecular imaging, Solid mechanics, Stiffness, Ultrasound
in
Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
volume
48
issue
2
pages
333 - 345
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:34802840
  • scopus:85119397551
ISSN
0301-5629
DOI
10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.10.011
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d50118ee-9d8a-49ea-add0-1ef15937e633
date added to LUP
2021-12-13 13:45:55
date last changed
2024-06-15 22:35:30
@article{d50118ee-9d8a-49ea-add0-1ef15937e633,
  abstract     = {{<p>Magnetomotive ultrasound is an emerging technique that enables detection of magnetic nanoparticles. This has implications for ultrasound molecular imaging, and potentially addresses clinical needs regarding determination of metastatic infiltration of the lymphatic system. Contrast is achieved by a time-varying magnetic field that sets nanoparticle-laden regions in motion. This motion is governed by vector-valued mechanical and magnetic forces. Understanding how these forces contribute to observed displacement patterns is important for the interpretation of magnetomotive ultrasound images. Previous studies have captured motion adjacent to nanoparticle-laden regions that was attributed to diamagnetism. While diamagnetism could give rise to a force, it cannot fully account for the observed displacements in magnetomotive ultrasound. To isolate explanatory variables of the observed displacements, a finite element model is set up. Using this model, we explore potential causes of the unexplained motion by comparing numerical models with earlier experimental findings. The simulations reveal motion outside particle-laden regions that could be attributed to mechanical coupling and the principle of mass conservation. These factors produced a motion that counterbalanced the time-varying magnetic excitation, and whose extent and distribution was affected by boundary conditions as well as compressibility and stiffness of the surroundings. Our findings emphasize the importance of accounting for the vector-valued magnetic force in magnetomotive ultrasound imaging. In an axisymmetric geometry, that force can be represented by a simple scalar expression, an oversimplification that rapidly becomes inaccurate with distance from the symmetry axis. Additionally, it results in an underestimation of the vertical force component by up to 30%. We therefore recommend using the full vector-valued force to capture the magnetic interaction. This study enhances our understanding of how forces govern magnetic nanoparticle displacement in tissue, contributing to accurate analysis and interpretation of magnetomotive ultrasound imaging.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sjöstrand, Sandra and Evertsson, Maria and Atile, Esayas and Andersson, Roger and Svensson, Ingrid and Cinthio, Magnus and Jansson, Tomas}},
  issn         = {{0301-5629}},
  keywords     = {{Compressibility; Finite element model; Lymph node; Magnetomotive; Molecular imaging; Solid mechanics; Stiffness; Ultrasound}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{333--345}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology}},
  title        = {{Displacement Patterns in Magnetomotive Ultrasound Explored by Finite Element Analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.10.011}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.10.011}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}