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. 2020:1:265-267.
doi: 10.1109/ojemb.2020.3026234. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Magnetic Microdevices for MRI-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Viruses

Lamar O Mair  1 , Olivia Hale  1 , Sahar Jafari  2 , Cheng Chen  1 , Oleg Udalov  1 , Roland Probst  1 , Ittai Baum  1 , Anjana Hevaganinge  1 , Elaine Yi Wang  1 , Olga C Rodriguez  3 , Christopher Albanese  3 , Stanley T Fricke  3 , Irving N Weinberg  2
Affiliations

Magnetic Microdevices for MRI-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Viruses

Lamar O Mair et al. IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2020.

Abstract

Goal: To develop a micron-scale device that can operate as an MRI-based reporter for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Methods: Iron rod microdevices were constructed via template-guided synthesis and suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 viruses were added to the samples and imaged with low-field MRI.

Results: MRI of microdevices and viruses showed decreased signal intensity at low concentrations of viruses that recovered at higher concentrations. Electron micrographs suggest that reduced MRI intensity may be due to concentration-dependent shielding of water protons from local magnetic inhomogeneities caused by the iron microdevices.

Conclusions: The preliminary results presented in this letter provide justification for further studies exploring the potential diagnostic role of magnetic microdevices in assessing the presence and concentration of SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

Keywords: COVID; MRI; coronavirus; magnetic microdevices; theranostic.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
(i) MR images of 50 μl PBS samples with various concentrations of micro-devices. (A) No microdevices, no viruses. (B) Low intensity seen after adding 2 × 106 micro-devices, no viruses. (C) Reduced intensity with 2 × 106 micro-devices, 7.5 × 107 copies/ml. (D) Recovery of intensity with 2 × 106 micro-devices, 30 × 107 copies/ml. Control images on samples having only viruses (E, F) suggest that viral content alone, at the concentrations shown, is insufficient to appreciably alter mean intensity.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
(A) Microdevices extracted from sample containing only PBS and microwires. As expected, wire surface is smooth and contains no extraneous material or nonspecifically bound material. (B) Microdevices extracted from sample containing PBS, SARS-CoV-2 viruses, and microwires. Microdevices appear coated with viral capsids. Both scale bars are 5 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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