Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) / Working group “Metrology for Magnetic Nanoparticles”

Key figures / Profile

• National Metrology Institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with scientific and technical service tasks
• Focus: progress and reliability in metrology for society, the economy and science
• development of measurement techniques based on magnetic markers (magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic beads, magnetic aerosols, magnetically loaded cells) to monitor biological and physiological processes
• manipulation of cells and tissue for biomedical applications (magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic drug targeting, magnetofection, magnetic separation) by means of magnetic nanoparticles and beads

We offer

• Development of novel application oriented magnetic measurement procedures for characterization and quality control of magnetic materials, quantification and imaging of magnetic materials in biological objects. This comprises:
  • the determination of magnetic and geometrical properties of magnetic materials
  • the realization of size fractionations
  • the analysis of short and long term colloidal stability
  • quantification of loading, uptake and clearance in biological systems
  • the determination of 3D-tissue distribution
  • the in-vivo detection of magnetic materials
• We operate a number of measurement techniques like dc-,ac-SQUID magnetometer, NMR-relaxometer, Mössbauer spectrometer, preclinical MRI-scanner, Magnetic Particle Spectrometer and imaging scanner, dynamic/static-light scattering detector, Magnetorelaxometry spectroscopy and imaging scanner, Hyperthermia setup, magnetophoresis device, magnetic separation setup, 3D printing of magnetic phantoms.