SPIO requirements for in vivo sentinel lymph node localization

Magnetic detection of sentinel lymph nodes using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) is rapidly proving itself as a replacement technique for the logistically complex radioisotope-based standard of care. However, the SPIONs currently used in the magnetic procedure are chosen based purely on commercial availability. In this research, we evaluated three iron oxide based nanoparticles on both their magnetic characteristics and their performance in an in vivo porcine model, to illustrate that particle properties should be tailored for the application.