SBIR Phase I: Evaluating ADFMR magnetometers for portable, non-invasive functional bioimaging

该SBIR第一阶段项目研究了使用基于声驱动铁磁共振（ADFMR）的磁传感器进行神经成像的可行性。有关大脑活动的信息对于诊断和治疗各种疾病，包括癫痫，创伤性脑损伤和阿尔茨海默病至关重要。脑磁图（MEG）是测量大脑活动的最强大的非侵入性技术，它使用需要液氦冷却和磁屏蔽才能运行的磁力计。由于这些要求，目前的MEG系统是大的和昂贵的，限制了它们的采用和可访问性。ADFMR传感器可以在不需要低温和磁屏蔽的情况下测量生物磁场，从而大大降低此类系统的尺寸，成本和功耗。这种改进的技术的便携性将允许功能性神经成像在仔细控制的成像套件之外，这在今天是可能的。这可以允许诊断以前无法到达的患者（即。在ICU，手术室或救护车）以及开发这项技术的新用途（即，长期监测，移动过程中的扫描）。这种改进的便携式脑磁图也可以实现第一个实用的便携式脑机接口？该SBIR第一阶段项目旨在研究ADFMR传感器测量极小磁场的能力，例如由人脑产生的磁场。ADFMR现象已被证明是激励铁磁谐振的传统方法的更大功率和尺寸效率的替代方案，允许其用作芯片级磁力计的感测机制。在拟议的计划中，一些方法来提高目前的ADFMR器件的性能将进行调查。首先，将开发一个紧凑的模型，以允许ADFMR器件及其相关检测电路的快速建模。使用该模型的结果，设备将被制造，以实验验证各种机制的检测器电路中的1/f噪声的减少和优化的ADFMR吸收曲线的最大灵敏度施加磁场。这些传感器元件最初将使用标准台式表征设备进行测试。在台架演示之后，将通过开发完全集成的磁强计原型来解决整个传感器系统的集成化挑战。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This SBIR Phase I project examines the feasibility of using magnetic sensors based on Acoustically Driven Ferromagnetic Resonance (ADFMR) for neurological imaging. Information about brain activity is critical to the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of disorders including epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer's disease. The most powerful non-invasive technique for measuring brain activity, magnetoencephalography (MEG), uses magnetometers that require liquid helium cooling and magnetic shielding to operate. Due to these requirements, current MEG systems are large and expensive, limiting their adoption and accessibility. ADFMR sensors could allow for the measurement of biomagnetic fields without the need for cryogenics and magnetic shielding, dramatically reducing the size, cost, and power consumption of such systems. The portability of this improved technology would allow for functional neuroimaging outside of the carefully controlled imaging suites where it is possible today. This could allow for diagnosis of previously unreachable patients (ie. in the ICU, operating room, or ambulance) as well as the development of new uses for this technology (ie. long-term monitoring, scanning during movement). This improved, portable MEG could also enable the first practical, portable brain-computer interface ? applicable across a wide variety of applications in both defense and consumer sectors.This SBIR Phase I project investigates the ability for ADFMR sensors to measure extremely small magnetic fields, such as those generated by the human brain. The ADFMR phenomenon has been shown to be a much more power and size efficient alternative to traditional methods of exciting ferromagnetic resonance, allowing for its use as a sensing mechanism for chip-scale magnetometers. In the proposed program, a number of methods to improve the performance of current ADFMR devices will be investigated. First, a compact model will be developed to allow for fast modeling of ADFMR devices and their associated detection circuitry. Using the results of this model, devices will be fabricated in order to experimentally validate various mechanisms for the reduction of 1/f noise in the detector circuitry and for the optimization of the ADFMR absorption profile for maximum sensitivity to applied magnetic fields. These sensor elements will initially be tested using standard benchtop characterization equipment. Following a benchtop demonstration, challenges in miniaturizing the full sensor system will be addressed by developing fully integrated magnetometer prototypes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.