Fluxtrol’s medical work is research-stage and well documented. Its engineers helped design inductors for cancer hyperthermia studies, in which magnetic nanoparticles targeted at tumors are heated by an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The field is of particular interest for metastatic cancers of the prostate.
The induction challenge
The 2010 and 2012 papers describe the design problem. Studying nanoparticle heating in cell cultures needs a high flux density field at high frequency across a relatively large volume. The inductor must also hold an operating temperature of 35-39 C under continuous duty of an hour or longer. Fluxtrol’s papers cover simulation and design of devices that meet these requirements, including a modified solenoid coil and an earlier coil design .
Related papers and patents
- A 2005 study exposed mice to a 153 kHz AMF in a water-cooled four-turn coil and found fields up to 1,300 Oe tolerable when duty was adjusted to dissipate heat (library entry ).
- Patent WO2004071370, listed in the patents table , covers therapy via targeted delivery of nanoscale particles (Nemkov, Goldstein et al.).
Science and materials research
Fluxtrol also supports laboratory and materials-science uses of induction. The library includes a presentation on induction heating enabling advancement in materials science , and work on dilatometry specimens and carbon fiber thermoplastics. Our R&D for emerging technologies page describes how we work with universities, start-ups and multinationals.
What carries over
- Electromagnetic and thermal simulation of unusual field geometries
- Coil design under strict temperature limits
- Magnetic flux control for field shaping
Contact Fluxtrol if you are developing an induction-based research system.
Biomedical research from the library
Solenoid for high-throughput cell treatment
Optimizing an inductor to create a high flux density, high frequency field in a relatively large volume, while the inductor holds an operating temperature of 35-39 C for an hour or longer.
- Simulation and design of two devices
- Aimed at prostate cancer research
AMF exposure in mice
Mice were exposed to a 153 kHz field in a water-cooled four-turn coil. High-amplitude fields up to 1,300 Oe were well tolerated when duty was adjusted to dissipate heat.
- Study of tolerance and heating response