A New Instrument Designed to Measure the Magnetic Susceptibility of Human Liver Tissue In Vivo

• Published in: IEEE transactions on magnetics Vol. 43; no. 9; pp. 3543 - 3554
• Main Authors: Farrell, D.E., Allen, C.J., Whilden, M.W., Kidane, T.K., Baig, T.N., Tripp, J.H., Brown, R.W., Sheth, S., Brittenham, G.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.09.2007; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diamagnetic; Exact sciences and technology; hepatic iron concentration; High temperature superconductors; high-temperature superconductivity; Human; Humans; In vivo; Instrumentation; Instruments; Iron; Liquid helium; Liver; Magnetic susceptibility; Magnetism; Materials science; Mathematical model; Mathematical models; Measuring instruments; Nitrogen; Other topics in materials science; paramagnetic; phantom; Physics; storage iron; Superconductivity; Superconductors; susceptometer; Temperature; Superconductivity; Diamagnetic; High temperature; high-temperature superconductivity; storage iron; susceptometer; Magnetic susceptibility; Design; phantom; Storage; paramagnetic; hepatic iron concentration; Magnetic properties
• ISSN: 0018-9464; 1941-0069
• DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2007.901352

All existing superconducting instrumentation for measuring the concentration of iron stored in the human liver requires liquid helium for its operation. We report the mathematical modeling, optimization, and instrumental performance of an instrument that uses high-transition-temperature (high-T c ) superconductors. Requiring only liquid nitrogen to operate, the susceptometer represents the first medical application of the phenomenon of high-temperature superconductivity with the potential for widespread clinical utility.