Portable fluxgate magnetometer for non-invasive measurement of occupationally acquired lung dust. Progress report, September 15, 1982-September 14, 1983

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5986765

Freedman, A P; Robinson, S E

The construction and testing of a prototype of a portable low-noise fluxgate magnetometer is nearly complete. The instrument being developed will be useful for the non-invasive measurement of the pulmonary burden of coal mine dust and coal fly ash by magnetopneuomography. The fluxgate sensor noise, critical to its application in making lung dust measurements, was measured using a spectrum analyzer. Intrinsic sensor noise ranged from 10.1 pT rms per root Hz (dc to 10Hz bandwidth). The sensor cores are currently undergoing a hydrogen re-annealing process to further reduce their noise. It is expected that re-annealing will yield some sensors with as low as 6 pT rms per root Hz intrinsic noise. The technology chosen for developing a portable instrument for magnetopneumography has been proven. Although the fluxgate magnetometer is noisier than the less portable SQUID (superconducting) magnetometer, its noise is well below the values seen in our measurements of coal mine dust samples for DOE in 1981-1982 and our ongoing studies of coal workers. Therefore, the sensors tested should be adequate to perform on-site measurement of occupational lung burdens of coal mine dust and coal fly ash. Ultimately, this instrument must be evaluated in a field test using human subjects (coal workers) and the results compared with those obtained with a SQUID magnetometer.

• Research Organization: Hahnemann Medical Coll. and Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-81ER60029
• OSTI ID: 5986765
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60029-2; ON: DE83014827
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440300 -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
550600* -- Medicine
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BODY
BODY BURDEN
COAL MINERS
COAL MINES
DESIGN
DIAGNOSTIC USES
DUSTS
FLUXGATE MAGNETOMETERS
LUNGS
MAGNETOMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINERS
MINES
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USES