High Sensitivity, 2-D Solid State Sensor Array/Rapid MCG

描述（由申请人提供）：心脏磁图（MCG）已被证明在人类和动物中提供强大的疾病检测和诊断能力，这是标准心电图和超声心动图难以实现的，包括绘制心脏缺血区域和监测心律失常的能力。胎儿心脏磁图（fMCG）已成功地用于子宫内胎儿心律失常和其他情况的无创研究。然而，由于与心脏相关的磁场非常小，目前的MCG系统使用超导量子干涉器件（SQUID）作为传感器。鱿鱼的制造和使用非常复杂，包括线圈、屏蔽、冷却和电子设备，这使得它们非常昂贵。这些限制阻碍了MCG在临床的广泛应用。RMD提出了一种新的固态高密度二维传感器阵列，它将彻底改变MCG技术，使其既可以用于人类受试者的临床环境，也可以用于动物研究，以开发新的治疗方法和药物。该技术将使大面积、高密度、二维传感器阵列成为可能，具有优异的图像分辨率（~250微米）、无需扫描的高速成像和~10-13T/VHz的灵敏度。这些传感器还将大大降低MCG仪器的复杂性和成本。第一阶段项目的目标是表明所提出的技术可以用于执行MCG，并且可以将数据映射到产生心脏图像。RMD组建了一支由心脏病专家、生物物理学家、科学家和工程师组成的强大研究团队来开展I期项目。该团队在测量微小磁场和分析动物和人类受试者的心电图方面具有丰富的经验。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Magnetocardiography (MCG) has been shown to offer powerful disease detection and diagnostic capabilities in both humans and animals not readily achieved with standard ECG and echocardiography, including the ability to map ischemic regions in the heart, and monitor arrhythmia. Fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) has been successfully employed for the non-invasive study of arrhythmia and other conditions of the fetus in utero. However, due to the exceedingly small magnetic fields associated with the heart, current MCG systems use super conducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) as sensors. Complexities in fabricating and using SQUIDs, including coils, shielding, cooling and electronics, make them exceedingly expensive. These limitations have prevented MCG from achieving widespread clinical use. RMD proposes a new, solid-state, high density, 2-D sensor array that will revolutionize MCG technology so that it can be used in both the clinical setting with human subjects, and for research with animals to develop new treatments and pharmaceuticals. The proposed technology will make possible large area, high density, 2-D sensor arrays for excellent image resolution (~250 microns), high speed imaging without scanning, and sensitivity of ~10-13T/VHz. The sensors will also result in substantial reductions in both the complexity and cost of MCG instrumentation. The goal of the Phase I program is to show that the proposed technology can be used to perform MCG, and that the data can be mapped to produce images of the heart. RMD has assembled a strong research team consisting of a cardiologist, biophysicist, scientists and engineers to conduct the Phase I program. The team has substantial experience in measuring minute magnetic fields, and analyzing ECG in both animals and human subjects.