Magnetic Fluid Behavior under External Fields in View of Medical Applications

Characteristic behavior of magnetic fluid was investigated for a key technology study of the magnetic targeting drug delivery system, which is the specific delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to a desired location in the body, such as tumor by the control of an external magnetic field. Transparent images of the fluid were taken by using a CCD camera and an intense X-ray beam at the SPring-8. The reduction of the image information has lead to clarify the distribution of nanoparticles inside the fluid as a function of external field strength. The physical interactions between nanoparticles, one of the essential factors to achieve the drug delivery control, were discussed.