| abstract |
The present invention provides doped ferrite particles or metallic compounds or alloys, which can be used as temperature-dependent sensors in magnetic resonance imaging. In certain embodiments, these particles have a Curie temperature near that of living animals, allowing one to obtain spatial maps of temperature useful for thermal medical procedures or diagnostics. In other embodiments, one can use the methods and materials of the present invention to obtain spatial temperature maps of materials and non-living objects, such as tires or polymers. This method allows for a non-invasive determination of internal body temperature with a resolution of about 1° C. |