Development of SLNB using Magnetic Fluid

Mikio Shiozawa, from the Department of Surgery at Jichi Medical University, describes the development of sentinel lymph node biopsy using magnetic fluid (RESOVIST®):
“Since around 2007, I had been working at a small community hospital that did not have the facilities to perform the radioisotope method and I was contemplating alternative ways, like using magnetic fluids. When I met Professor Kusakabe, Owner and CEO of Matrix Cell Research Institute Inc., at an industry-university cooperation conference, he confirmed my idea of using magnetic fluid in SLNB and together, we started researching the possibilities of this method.
First, we conducted animal experiments, injecting magnetic fluid into pig stomachs and confirming accumulation in the surrounding lymph nodes. These results led to a clinical trial in May 2008. At that time, I also referred to previous research on this matter carried out by Dr. Yoshihisa Katayose (Dean of Akita City Hospital), who determined that the data obtained could not be deemed good, as it was susceptible to geomagnetism as well as influenced by magnetism generated from equipment in the operating room.
Since then, we have been able to constantly improve the sensitivity of the magnetic fluid method in over 30 cases, and in November 2011, the effectiveness of SLNB using magnetic fluids was officially announced.”