title: Novel handheld magnetometer probe based on magnetic tunnelling junction sensors for intraoperative sentinel lymph node identification.
abstract: Using magnetic tunnelling junction sensors, a novel magnetometer probe for the identification of the sentinel lymph node using magnetic tracers was developed. Probe performance was characterised in vitro and validated in a preclinical swine model. Compared to conventional gamma probes, the magnetometer probe showed excellent spatial resolution of 4.0 mm, and the potential to detect as few as 5 μg of magnetic tracer. Due to the high sensitivity of the magnetometer, all first-tier nodes were identified in the preclinical experiments, and there were no instances of false positive or false negative detection. Furthermore, these preliminary data encourage the application of the magnetometer probe for use in more complex lymphatic environments, such as in gastrointestinal cancers, where the sentinel node is often in close proximity to other non-sentinel nodes, and high spatial resolution detection is required.
authors.affiliation: Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cousins
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Balalis
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forero Morales
authors.affiliation: Medical Device Research Institute, School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohtar
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Wedding
authors.affiliation: Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thierry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media