Magnets have a long history of use in the medical field, with neodymium magnets among the most powerful. Their ability to generate a strong magnetic field makes them ideal for various medical applications, from MRI machines to targeted cancer therapy. In recent years, scientists have been exploring new ways to use neodymium magnets to treat cancer and other diseases. While much research is still needed, there is potential for neodymium magnets to play a significant role in the future of medicine.
Read on if you’re looking for inspiration on using these powerful magnets in your next medical machine!
Magnetic Hyperthermia
The Concept
Magnetic hyperthermia is the process of heating specific body cells using magnetism, resulting in cell death after exposure to high temperatures.
Magnetic hyperthermia uses magnetic nanomaterials or heated nanoparticles using low-frequency electromagnetic waves.
Small magnetic particles are placed inside the body to heat a specific area or tissue. Invisible waves are produced that make the particles vibrate and generate heat. The temperature typically reaches 42C to 45C, but this still depends on the safety parameter established for the study.
The Role of Magnets in the Procedure
The primary tool to kill target cells is heated, which comes from magnets. Small magnet particles are positioned and then vibrated to create heat. When exposed to this intense heat, the target cells die. Before being used for cell death, nanoparticles had other medical purposes, such as drug delivery and organ repair/modification. Consequently, we can see that its role has been significant in the medical industry before this use.
The Medical Importance
Magnetic hyperthermia is a cancer treatment procedure that uses magnetic fields to heat up and destroy tumor cells. The accuracy of this method makes it a popular choice among cancer patients, even though the heat may sometimes damage surrounding healthy tissue.
Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)
The Concept
MPI, or Magnetic Particle Imaging, is a medical procedure that uses magnetic nanoparticles. The MPI machine detects these particles in the patient’s bloodstream and generates a reflection of where they are located. This creates a 3D image that physicians can use to develop an informed treatment regimen.
The Role of Magnets in the Procedure
Magnets play a vital role in this process. They are detected by the machine, which then creates images of the body’s structures. Iron-oxide nanoparticles are injected into the patient’s bloodstream before an MPI procedure. The device resonates with these particles to produce pictures of what is happening inside the body.
The Medical Importance
MPI is used to visualize the body’s internal structures, but its primary uses in the medical field are for tumor therapy assessment and vessel visualization.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
The Concept
It is easy to mistake an MRI machine for other imaging equipment because they share many standard features.
The human body comprises water molecules, soft tissue, organs, and blood vessels. In an MRI machine, the magnets realign the magnetic field of the water molecules in your body. When this happens, a faint radio wave is sent from the machine toward your tissues.
It works: the radio wave interacts with the water molecules that a magnetic field has realigned. This sends a faint signal back to the machine, which is then picked up by the receiver. The receiver translates this into a map that shows where in the body the original signal came from. With this information, 3D images of soft tissue inside can be produced.
The Role of Magnets in the Procedure
After mentioning earlier, magnets play a vital role in this procedure. They effectively “prime” the human body to be prepared to generate signals when radio waves interact with water molecules in the body.
The Medical Importance
MRI tests are mainly used to visualize the brain and spinal cord because other imaging techniques are either too invasive or don’t provide enough detail.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS)
The Concept
MRS employs a similar concept to that of MRI machines. The machine first aligns the magnetic field of the body’s water molecules using magnets. Next, radio waves are sent, and water molecules can send back a faint signal. This signal is then used to produce results.
However, one way MRS procedures differ from others is that instead of developing a 3D image as most other procedures do, MRS produces a spectrum or graph with different spikes. This depicts the types of chemicals in the patient’s body based on which signals interact more with certain chemicals than others.
The Role of Magnets in the Procedure
MRS machines work by priming the molecules in your body to send signals when they interact with radio waves from the machine. The difference between MRS and MRI lies in what type of machine interprets the signal being received.
An MRI machine creates detailed structures depicting the reflection of these signals. On the other hand, an MRS machine detects how strong the signal is depending on which chemical it interacts with within your body.
The Medical Importance
MRS procedures are commonly used to study metabolic changes in the body and have shown promise in applications such as brain tumor monitoring, stroke detection, and seizure disorders. However, more research is necessary to build a comprehensive theoretical understanding of how MRS can be applied.
Magnetic Therapy
The Concept
Magnetic therapy is an alternative and complementary medicine that focuses on imbalanced magnetic fields and how they affect the body. The theory is that the body can heal naturally by correcting these imbalances. This includes using magnetic jewelry, electrically charged magnets, or even magnetic acupuncture needles.
The Role of Magnets in the Procedure
In this context, magnets are primarily used to heal patients by realigning the body’s magnetic field.
The Medical Importance
Many people believe in the healing power of magnetic field therapy for conditions like joint pain, wound healing, insomnia, and headaches. But if you have an electronic device implanted (e.g., a pacemaker), beware that magnets can non-functionality of these devices. Though more scientific research is needed on this topic, some might say that additional effort may be required to “prove” its importance before it becomes commonly accepted as a natural therapy option.
Conclusion
Though magnets have been used for centuries in a medical context, their role is still being explored. We know that neodymium magnets are crucial in medical machines and devices. They play an essential role in the accuracy of treatments and help to improve patient care. Contact us if you’re looking for neodymium magnets for your medical machine. We have a wide selection of high-quality magnets that will meet your needs.