First-ever Economically Cheaper Brain Imaging Tool Offers High Accuracy

The new device operates at room temperature and is also dozens of times cheaper. The team had validated the sensor in action by measuring a simple brain-induced field — the alpha rhythm — which constitutes sinusoidal electric currents in the back of the brain.

“The initial concept of this sensor was proposed by the project engineering lead, Pyotr Vetoshko, back in the mid-1990s. Currently, there is a steadily growing interest in MEG systems across the world, as confirmed by key market figures: The MEG market, which was estimated at $600 million in 2017 is expected to reach $1.3 billion by 2025. Although our quantum device and the classical flux-gate sensor have similar operating principles, in our case, the quantum exchange interaction helped detect a magnetic field with a magnitude 1,000 times lower compared to conventional solutions. Moreover, its high sensitivity coupled with all the advantages of classical flux-gate sensors makes our device a truly universal magnetometer ideally suited for brain research,” says Maxim Ostras, the head of the project at RQC.

The study marks an important step forward in non-invasive neuroimaging and neuro interfaces. The team plans to study various sensor configurations, including a flexible band-type device for utmost efficiency and accuracy in detecting the exact location of electrical activity in the cerebral cortex.

Source: Medindia