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Title: Performance of a novel squid-based superconducting imaging-surface magnetoencephalography system

Conference ·
OSTI ID:975720

Performance for a recently completed whole-head magnetoencephalography system using a superconducting imaging-surface (SIS) surrounding an array of 150 SQUID magnetometers is reported. The helmetlike SIS is hemispherical in shape with a brim. Conceptually, the SIS images nearby sources onto the SQUIDs while shielding sensors from distant 'noise' sources. A finite element method (FEM) description using the as-built geometry was developed to describe the SIS effect on source fields by imposing B(surface)=0. Sensors consist of 8mm x 8mm SQUID magnetometers with 0.84nT/F sensitivity and <3fT/vHz noise. A series of phantom experiments to verify system efficacy have been completed. Simple dry-wire phantoms were used to eliminate model dependence from our results. Phantom coils were distributed throughout the volume encompassed by the array with a variety of orientations. Each phantom coil was precisely machined and located to better than 25{micro}m and 10mRad accuracy. Excellent agreement between model-calculated and measured magnetic field distributions of all phantom coil positions and orientations was found. Good agreement was found between modeled and measured shielding of the SQUIDs from sources external to the array showing significant frequency-independent shielding. Phantom localization precision was better than 0.5mm at all locations with a mean of better than 0.3mm.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
975720
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-01-4892; TRN: US201018%%808
Resource Relation:
Conference: "Submitted to: SQUID 2001 Conference, Stenungsbaden near Gothenburg, Germany, 8/29/01-9/3/01. Paper to be published in Conference Proceedings that will be Special Edition of "Physica C" Journal"
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English