Goal: To develop a micron-scale device that can operate as an MRI-based reporter for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: Iron rod microdevices were constructed via template-guided synthesis and suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 viruses were added to the samples and imaged with low-field MRI. Results: MRI of microdevices and viruses showed decreased signal intensity at low concentrations of viruses that recovered at higher concentrations. Electron micrographs suggest that reduced MRI intensity may be due to concentration-dependent shielding of water protons from local magnetic inhomogeneities caused by the iron microdevices. Conclusions: The preliminary results presented in this letter provide justification for further studies exploring the potential diagnostic role of magnetic microdevices in assessing the presence and concentration of SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

中文翻译：

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用于基于 MRI 检测 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的磁性微器件

目标：开发一种微米级设备，可以作为基于 MRI 的报告器来检测 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的存在。方法：铁棒微装置通过模板引导合成构建并悬浮在磷酸盐缓冲盐水 (PBS) 中。将热灭活的 SARS-CoV-2 病毒添加到样本中，并用低场 MRI 成像。结果：微型设备和病毒的 MRI 显示，在低浓度病毒下信号强度降低，而在较高浓度下恢复。电子显微照片表明，降低的 MRI 强度可能是由于水质子的浓度依赖性屏蔽了由铁微器件引起的局部磁不均匀性。结论：这封信中提供的初步结果为进一步研究探索磁性微型设备在评估 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的存在和浓度方面的潜在诊断作用提供了依据。