The Value of New Atomic Sensors in Medical Diagnostic Procedures

Abstract

The new generation of atomic magnetic sensors with sensitivity of 10 pT/rtHz provides new tool for assessment of biological magnetic signals such as MCG, MEG or other neurological signals. The atomic sensors with such high sensitivity always require attenuation of the spurious magnetic signals with shielding of the sensor and the subject. Additionally the best sensitivity of sensors is achieved in the total magnetic earth field close to zero. Authors have designed, based on a Vacuumschmelze room, the laboratory for the atomic sensors measurements with the compensation coils system zeroing out the magnetic field of the earth within whole area inside the shielded volume. The preliminary measurements have proven that diagnostic signal of MCG can be monitored by two parallel sensors. The results confirmed the ability of the multisensors examination of the distribution of the magnetic field magnitude on the surfaces of chest, scalp or other fragments of human body. In most practical situations the vector of the magnetic field is perpendicular to the surface of tissue generating it and the field maximum is exactly over the area of interest e.g. where the neurons are placed. Therefore the maps measured by the atomic sensor arrays can be more precise than isopotential maps where the magnetic field gradient parallel to the surface is detected. We could also expect that the measured magnetic field will have high amplitude because of the smaller dimensions of sensors and low attenuation of the magnetic field by bones.