Overview

• University of Warwick researchers report the miniature nitrogen-vacancy diamond magnetometer in Physical Review Applied.
• The handheld probe combines a 0.5 mm3 diamond with a small permanent magnet to shrink the sensor head to roughly 10 mm for endoscopic use.
• It is designed to locate iron-oxide nanoparticle tracer injected into a tumor as it travels to lymph nodes used to assess metastatic spread.
• Laboratory testing showed detection at around one percent of a typical clinical tracer dose, indicating high sensitivity in a compact form.
• Clinician collaborators at UHCW, who already use magnetic localization, back the non-radioactive approach as an alternative to radioisotopes and blue dyes, with clinical validation still required.