Experience with a multichannel system for biomagnetic study

The components of the biomagnetic multichannel system Krenikon are described. The combination of biomagnetically yielded localizations with anatomic images gained from MR or CT is discussed as well as the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio by using a correlation technique. The overall localization accuracy is tested with technical phantoms. With volunteers measurements of auditory, visual and somatosensory evoked fields are performed to evaluate the system performance in vivo. Clinical studies were performed mainly with partners from the Universities of Erlangen-Nünberg and Ulm. The data acquisition time typically is 2-10 min which is tolerable both for the patient and the clinical staff. Electric potentials even with invasive electrodes can be recorded simultaneously with the magnetic fields. MEG gives important information for the presurgical diagnosis of epileptic patients and for the understanding of the epilepsy genesis. With MCG, centres of biologic excitation such as ventricular ectopies or accessory bundles in WPW syndrome have been successfully localized.