Multichannel AC Biosusceptometry system to map biodistribution and assess the pharmacokinetic profile of magnetic nanoparticles by imaging.

In this paper, the application of a technique to evaluate in vivo biodistribution of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) is addressed: the Multichannel AC Biosusceptometry System (MC-ACB). It allows real-time assessment of magnetic nanoparticles in both bloodstream clearance and liver accumulation, where a complex network of inter-related cells is responsible for MNP uptake. Based on the acquired MC-ACB images, we propose a mathematical model to help understand the distribution and accumulation pharmacokinetics of MNP. MC-ACB showed a high time resolution to detect and monitor MNP, providing sequential images over the particle biodistribution. Utilizing the MC-ACB instrument, we assessed regions corresponding to the heart and liver, and we determined the MNP transfer rates between the bloodstream and the liver. The pharmacokinetic model resulted in having a strong correlation with the experimental data, suggesting that the MC-ACB is a valuable and accessible imaging device to assess in vivo and real-time pharmacokinetic features of MNP.