NONINVASIVE MAGNETIC SENSOR FOR MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY (MEG)

A SURVEY WITHIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY REVEALED THAT A LOW-COST NONSUPERCONDUCTING INSTRUMENT CAPABLE OF MONITORING MAGNETIC FIELDS IS REQUIRED FOR NONINVASIVE MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY (MEG). SUCH A DEVICE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO BE APPLICABLE FOR BIOMAGNETIC DIAGNOSIS OF LIVER, LUNG, AND HEART DISEASE. SEIZURES ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN EPILEPSY ARE CHARACTERIZED BY AN UNCONTROLLED DISCHARGE OF BRAIN NEURONS. SIMILARLY, STIMULATIONS OF THE EYES, EARS, AND SKIN LEAD TO EVOKED POTENTIALS IN SPECIFIC REGIONS OF THE BRAIN. THE LOCATION, ORIENTATION, POLARITY, AND DEPTH OF THE ASSOCIATED CURRENT DIPOLES CAN BE OBTAINED WITH MEG MAPPINGOF THE MAGNETIC FIELDS GENERATED. OPTECH'S FIBER OPTIC MAGNETIC SENSOR PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: SENSITIVITIES EQUALING OR EXCEEDING THOSE OBTAINED ROOM TEMPERATURE OPERATION (DOES NOT REQUIRE LIQUID HELIUM COOLING). SMALL SIZE (10 MM DIAMETER) (DOES NOT REQUIRE THE USE OF A BULKY CRYOGENIC DEWAR). THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL IS TO BUILD A PROTOTYPE FIBER OPTIC MAGNETIC FIELD PROBE DETECTING 10-12 TESLAS AND TO VALIDATE ITS PREDICTED PERFORMANCE UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS. THE PHASE II OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO FABRICATE THE PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE SUITABLE FOR CLINICAL USE AND CAPABLE OF DETECTING MAGNETIC FIELDS AS LOW AS 10-14 TESLA.