Magnetomotive Tissue Displacement Simulation Pipeline for Ultrasound Imaging
Christian Marinus Huber, Lars Hageroth, Angelika Thalmayer, Elias Adibi, Christian Heim, Navab Karimian, Helmut Ermert, Sebastian Kölbl, Stefan Rupitsch, Stefan LyerAbstract
Magnetic Drug Targeting (MDT) utilizes magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for localized cancer therapy, but reliable monitoring of their spatial distribution remains a key challenge. Magnetomotive ultrasound (MMUS) addresses this by detecting tissue displacements induced by externally applied magnetic fields. However, interpretation of MMUS signals is difficult due to the complex interaction of magnetic forces, tissue mechanics, and ultrasound signal formation, as well as the lack of ground truth in experimental measurements. In this work, we present a simulation pipeline for MMUS displacement in ultrasound imaging. The framework models the complete signal chain, including magnetic force, tissue mechanical response, ultrasound data acquisition, and displacement estimation. It enables systematic analysis of factors influencing MMUS displacement, such as MNP distribution, tissue properties, and imaging parameters.