A number of groups, including us, are exploring what an OPM-based MEG system will look like in the future. The technology is evolving rapidly so it is difficult to make a prediction but an EEG cap-like solution does look promising in the short term. In the photo below we explore a prototype MEG cap with… Read more »
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and other biomagnetic recordings are generally made inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR) to suppress environmental magnetic noise. Traditional MSRs built for superconducting MEG systems are very large (for example 3.9 x 2.9 x 2.3 m) and cost around $1M. Optical MEG systems, such as QZFM based MEG, can be very compact and do not require such… Read more »
We are starting a long overdue discussion/support page for QZFM (QZFM discussions). Here you will find answers to basic technical queries, and you can post questions, results, tips and any other information useful for the general community. It will take some time to create an exhaustive database but your inputs will go a long way… Read more »
The second generation QZFM sensor (Gen-2) is finally ready for release. In this upgrade, we focussed on mainly two things: (i) reducing the size and weight of the sensor, and (ii) improving manufacturability to support faster production speeds. Along the way, we squeezed out a little more sensitivity and extended the sensor tolerance to background magnetic fields from… Read more »
Matt Brookes and his team take another giant step forward towards building a practical MEG scanner. In their latest work published in Nature [1], E. Boto and coworkers show that not only is it possible to build a high-performance MEG scanner with non-cryogenic sensors (QZFM) but that you can ‘wear’ the scanner and collect data while… Read more »
A promising application of nanoparticles in medicine is magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) based blood purification (MPBP). In this technique, MNPs are functionalized with antibodies that bind to unwanted (preselected) toxins, cells or proteins in the blood. The bound particles are then removed using a strong magnet, thus selectively filtering the blood. For safety reasons, it is important… Read more »
Fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) is an innovative and emerging diagnostic utility aimed at the early identification of fetal heart problems. Its efficacy for diagnosis and management of serious fetal arrhythmia has been acknowledged in the recent American Heart Association Statement on Diagnosis and Treatment of Fetal Cardiac Disease. In 2016, an experimental fetal MCG system with a… Read more »
Genetesis is developing CardioFlux – a clinical grade Magnetocardiography system powered by QuSpin QZFM sensors. The CardioFlux magnetic shield system is a cylindrical open end design (seen below) capable of attenuating background magnetic noise sufficiently to allow the CardioFlux to be installed in just about any clinical environment. The image below shows initial data recordings… Read more »
We report the latest results from a Wellcome Trust-funded collaborative project between the University of Nottingham and the University College of London investigating OPM based multichannel MEG to be presented at the Workshop on Optically Pumped Magnetometers (WOPM ‘17). Elena Boto and coworkers at Nottingham report, “We have shown the ability to beamform sources to… Read more »
In an important step towards building a full-head MEG system with OPMs, researchers at University of Nottingham and University College of London published results on their studies with a single OPM channel. A custom 3D printed MEG helmet was fabricated with slots to hold OPM at various locations. MEG evoked response was measured from 13 different… Read more »