THE GRANTEE WILL PERFORM A FEASIBILITY TEST OF AN INEXPENSIVE DETECTOR OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY ORIGINATED BIOMAGNETISM PRODUCING A DIGITAL OUTPUT, AND OPERATING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE IN A HOSTILE MAGNETIC ENVIRONMENT.

THE GRANTEE WILL PERFORM A FEASIBILITY TEST OF AN INEXPENSIVE DETECTOR OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY ORIGINATED BIOMAGNETISM PRODUCING A DIGITAL OUTPUT, AND OPERATING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE IN A HOSTILE MAGNETIC ENVIRONMENT. CONVENTIONAL BIOMAGNETIC DEVICES CAPABLE OF DETECTING THE MAGNETOCARDIOGRAM (MKG) AND MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAM (MEG) WITHOUT ELECTRODE CONTACT REQUIRE THE USE OF A SHIELDED ROOM AND LIQUID HELIUM CRYOGENIC EQUIPMENT. HOWEVER, A MECHANICALLY DRIVEN MAGNETOMETER, CAPABLE OF OPERATING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND WITHOUT SHIELDING, IS ALREADY IN THE PROTOTYPING STAGE. CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THIS MAGNETOMETER IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE SENSITIVITY AND FREQUENCY RESPONSE PERFORMANCE TO BIOMAGNETIC SIGNAL LEVELS AS DETERMINED BY A STANDARD BIOMAGNETIC PHANTOM TEST. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY: (1) DETERMINING A CONDUCTIVITY BIOMANETIC MODEL OF A PATIENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF A BIOMAGNETIC PHANTOM; (2) PREDICTING THE EXTERNAL BIOMAGNETICFIELD DISTRIBUTION AND DESIGNING AN IMPROVED BIOMAGNETIC DETECTOR SYSTEM; (3) EVALUATING THE BIOMAGNETIC SIGNAL RECOVERY. THIS RESEARCH MAY PRODUCE A NOVEL DIAGNOSTIC TOOLFOR THE PHYSICIAN.