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A 20-channel magnetoencephalography system based on optically pumped magnetometers.
Amir Borna1, Tony R Carter1, Josh D Goldberg2
1Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1082, United States of America.
Physics in Medicine and Biology
|October 17, 2017
Summary
A new multichannel magnetoencephalography (MEG) system using optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) offers a novel approach to brain magnetic field sensing. This OPM-MEG system was compared to a traditional superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) system.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique.
- Traditional MEG systems utilize superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs).
- Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) offer a potential alternative sensor technology for MEG.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel multichannel magnetoencephalography (MEG) system employing optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs).
- To compare the performance of the OPM-based MEG system with a conventional SQUID-based MEG system.
- To evaluate the measurement of tangential magnetic field components using OPMs in MEG.
Main Methods:
- Development of a 20-channel OPM-based MEG system with a head-conforming array and magnetic shielding.
- Conducting auditory and somatosensory evoked magnetic field experiments on three healthy male subjects.
- Comparison of data acquired using the OPM-MEG system and a 306-channel Elekta-Neuromag SQUID-MEG system.
Main Results:
- The OPM array successfully measured brain magnetic fields in MEG experiments.
- The OPM-based system measures tangential magnetic field components, unlike most SQUID systems measuring radial components.
- Comparative analysis of auditory and somatosensory evoked fields between OPM- and SQUID-MEG systems was performed on the same subjects.
Conclusions:
- A functional multichannel OPM-MEG system has been developed and tested.
- The OPM-based system provides complementary magnetic field component measurements compared to SQUID systems.
- Further research can explore the advantages of OPM-MEG for various neuroscientific applications.