The third-generation QZFM sensor (Gen-3) is now ready for release! This is an important milestone that marks the final step in our three-step process to develop mature zero-field OPM technology. The Gen-1 sensor (2016) was a technology demonstrator built to validate the underlying technology. The Gen-2 sensor (2019) was a miniaturized version that paved the… Read more »
Our current Gen-2 QZFM can sense y and z components of the magnetic field but not x. Because many applications can greatly benefit from a sensor that can detect all three components, we have developed a new triaxial variant. The triaxial variant has the same size, weight, power, and cost as the standard variant. The… Read more »
The Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham have, in operation, the first 50 channel OPM-MEG array based upon QuSpin sensors. The system uses Gen-2 QZFM mounted on the scalp using a flexible (EEG-like) cap, to measure the magnetic fields generated by current flow through neuronal assemblies. In this way it offers direct and… Read more »
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 »