Hyperthermia Using Magnetic Cobalt Ferrite Magnetoelectric Nanoparticles

Abstract

The focus of this article is to understand the application and the factors influencing magnetic hyperthermia using cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. Intrinsic properties, such as particle size, specific absorption rate, and magnetic saturation, are correlated with the material’s property to generate hyperthermia. External factors, such as the magnitude of applied field frequency, also influence the rate of hyperthermia generated by magnetic nanoparticles. Quantitative analysis of Pennes bioheat equation and finite element analysis (FEA) using COMSOL are used to understand the transient increase in temperature at the tumor site using magnetic nanoparticles. The required temperature for generating hyperthermia using nanoparticles is approximately 315 K or 42 °C. Due to the intrinsic high rate of metabolism in tumor cells, the required magnetic field to induce transient increase at the malignant cell site is less than its surrounding healthier cells. This principle can therefore be applied for inducing selective hyperthermia in tumor cells by the application of a lower threshold external magnetic field. This article focuses on the Pennes bioheat equation to understand the phenomenon of heat transfer as a function of both the time and the applied field magnitude. It compares the difference in the rate of heat transfer for 1) cobalt ferrite and cobalt ferrite–barium titanate and 2) hyperthermia in healthier and tumor sites using magnetic nanoparticles. An FEA is performed in conjunction to understand the rate of temperature profile change occurring at a simulated cell site.