On the possibility of using the boron-based magnetic nanoparticles for microwave imaging of breast cancer
Duygu Ağaoğulları1, İbrahim Akduman2, M. Lütfi Öveçoğlu1
1Particulate Materials Laboratories (PML), Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
2Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women and early detection is the key to improving breast cancer prognosis. Recent studies show that malignant tumors appear to have greater dielectric constant than normal fatty tissue at microwave frequencies and microwave tomography appears to be as a strong alternative method to the classical X-ray mammography. During the last two decades, there have been extensive research activities on the use of microwave imaging for the early detection of breast cancer. Current approaches are based on the high dielectric contrast between the normal and malignant tissues of the breast. On the other hand, the heterogeneous structure of the breast causes the microwave imaging approaches not to give high resolution results [1]. The most effective approach to overcome these difficulties is to use magnetic nanoparticles which allow to model the malignant tissues as obstacles in free space.
Metallic magnetic nanoparticles (MMNs) have already been attracting a considerable interest due to their potential applications such as magnetic carriers for biomedicine, malignant cancer detection and therapy, drug and gene delivery, drug targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic data storage, magnetic sifting and xerography. Especially Fe, Ni and Co-based magnetic nanoparticles are preferred candidates for medical applications due to their high magnetization and catalyzing abilities. However, they can be easily oxidized/corroded and their magnetic properties can be deteriorated during their stay in the biological environment. Thus, the strategy is to incorporate very small amount of metallic agents (Fe, Ni, Co, etc.) into a metalloid boron (B) matrix in order to prepare chemically stable, light-weight and magnetic nanoparticles for possible biomedical applications [2]. Apart from the previously utilized MMNs preparation methods such as arc-discharge, flame-spray synthesis, arc-plasma, autoclave synthesis, etc., mechanical alloying (MA) which is a novel, cost-effective and simple method was used for the incorporation of the metallic aids into the B matrix. MA experiments were carried out up to 5 h in a SPEXTM 8000D Mixer/Mill (1200 rpm) using hardened steel milling vial and balls with a ball-to-powder weight ratio of 7/1. Characterization investigations of the powders were performed by using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS), gas pycnometer, particle size analyzer (PSA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).
The main objective of this study is to analyze the possible use of boron-based magnetic particles for microwave breast cancer imaging. In the application of the approach, it is first illuminated the breast with microwaves from several directions and is measured the magnetic field vector at several positions covering the breast before and after the application of the magnetic nanoparticles. Then, microwave imaging methodologies are applied to image the region where the nanoparticles are concentrated. In this study, we first developed a new boron-based nanoparticles which can be concentrated on the malign tissues of the breast and it is applied to the microwave breast phantoms. Then, linear sampling based imaging technique is used for the imaging of the nanoparticles [3]. It has been shown that these nanoparticles can be imaged effectively.
References
[1] Fear EC., Bourqui J, Curtis C, Mew D, Docktor B, Romano C. Microwave breast imaging with a monostatic radar-based system: a study of application to patients. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 2013;61:813-822.
[2] Icten O, Hosmane NS, Kose DA, Zumreoglu-Karan B.; Production of magnetic nano-bioconjugates via ball milling of commercial boron powder with biomolecules. Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie 2016;642(14):828-832.
[3] Akıncı MN, Çağlayan T, Özgür S, Alkaşı U, Abbak M, Çayören M. Experimental assessment of linear sampling and factorization methods for microwave imaging of concealed targets. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation 2015;2015(504059):942-953.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by TUBİTAK under the grant 113E977.