| Magnetic nanoparticles have an increasing role in the clinical and pharmaceutical realms where their physical properties can be exploited for imaging, biological and functional sensing, control of cellular processes, therapeutics, and an array of other applications. When excited by an alternating magnetic field, these particles will produce a series of harmonics. These harmonics have been exploited for in vitro particle detection and for in vivo imaging using magnetic particle imaging (MPI). Using a new technique, which we have termed magnetic spectroscopy of nanoparticle Brownian motion (MSB), we have shown how information about the physical environment of the particles can be extracted from this harmonic spectrum. A variety of physical effects have been detected and/or quantified including temperature, viscosity, nanoparticle binding, and aggregation. Further, we found these different environments to have a unique impact on the spectral signature of the nanoparticles which allows for simultaneous quantification of multiple environmental states. The thesis culminates with a study of MSB as a means for monitoring the cellular uptake of nanoparticles. Potential applications for MSB as a standalone technology and the potential for incorporation into MPI are discussed throughout. |
