Biological tissue mimicry for magnetoacoustography measurements

• Grant number: 22/12028-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Adilton Oliveira Carneiro
• Grantee: Paloma Cardoso da Paz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/16939-8 - Development and implementation of novel acoustic, magnetic and optical techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, AP.TEM

Abstract

The use of synthetic materials with acoustic and mechanical properties equivalent to that of biological tissues has been strongly explored for the characterization and validation of arrangements and experimental protocols involving ultrasonic measurements. The magnetoacustography technique consists of the mechanical excitation of a target or medium marked with magnetic nanoparticles through the application of an alternating magnetic field and pulse-echo ultrasound measurements to record the microdisplacements of internal structures (Bruno 2015; Mehrmohammadi et al. 2011). The amplitude and phase of the displacement of these magnetic particles are related to the magnetic properties of the particles and the viscoelastic properties of the medium. In order to optimize the teranostic platform under development in the Laboratory of the Group of Innovation in Medical Instrumentation and ultrassound from FFCLRP/USP, is being proposed in this project the development of a material with stable mechanical and acoustic properties and equivalent to that of soft biological tissues. Magnetic nanoparticles will be homogeneously inserted in this material to promote micromovements of the internal structures of the material when in the presence of an alternating magnetic field gradient. This simulator will be used for the evaluation of the entire magnetoacustography measurement platform, for validation of data processing protocols and, generation of maps of the distribution of the nanoparticles and map of the viscoelastic properties inside the sample. The nanoparticles will be developed and coated with different materials in our own laboratory and in collaboration with the Laboratório de Físico-química de superfícies e coloides do Departamento de Química da FFCLRP/USP, under the coordination of Profa. Ana Paula Ramos. The experimental protocol will consist of the application of an alternating magnetic field, ranging from 10 - 200 HZ, with intensity of approximately 800 Mt. Using a high-rate ultrasound sampling, with a linear matrix transducer, the echo maps of the internal structures of the medium marked with the nanoparticles will be obtained. With these measurements in well-known samples, it will be possible to evaluate the experimental arrangements and protocols of measures and processes to be constructed in this project.