ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER FOR FETAL BIOMAGNETISM

描述(申请人提供)：该研究计划的长期目标是开发一种用于胎儿心磁图(FMCG)和胎儿脑磁图(FMEG)系统的光学磁强计。我们认为，拟议的磁强计代表了第一个可行的替代鱿鱼磁强计；因此，该研究对生物磁学领域的潜在影响是巨大的。我们研制了一种新颖的、小体积的单通道原子生物磁强计，并将其用于检测成人的心磁图信号。该磁力计具有足够高的灵敏度，足以支持胎儿心磁图。下一步是为快速消费品开发一种实用的多通道、多维、低成本的原子磁强计。具体目标是：1.将我们的单通道矢量磁强计在1-100赫兹带宽上的噪声性能提高到20 FT/赫兹。2.将其进一步小型化到10 cm的对角尺寸，并设计和制作了适合快速消费品研究的四通道原子生物磁强计。3.利用体模对生物磁强计阵列的技术性能进行测试和评价。4.将生物磁强计集成到与孕妇研究兼容的测试系统中。5.使用多通道系统进行初步的人体受试者测量。公共卫生相关性：胎儿心磁图是诊断胎儿心律失常的一种特别有效的方法。它可以提供超声波等其他技术无法提供的信息。研究一种用于胎儿心磁图的新型原子磁强计，有可能大大降低成本，提高胎儿心磁图的性能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research program is to develop an optical magnetometer for use in fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) and fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) systems. We believe that the proposed magnetometer represents the first viable alternative to SQUID magnetometers; thus, the potential impact of the research on the field of biomagnetism is enormous. We have developed a novel, small-volume single-channel atomic biomagnetometer and have used it to detect adult MCG signals. The magnetometer has sufficiently high sensitivity that it is fetal MCG capable. The next step is to develop a practical multi- channel, multidimensional, low-cost atomic magnetometer for fMCG. The specific aims are: 1. To improve the noise performance of our single channel vector magnetometer to 20 fT/ Hz over a 1-100 Hz bandwidth. 2. To further miniaturize it to a 10 cm diagonal size with integrated optics and electronics, and to design and fabricate a four-channel atomic biomagnetometer suit- able for fMCG studies. 3. To test and evaluate the technical performance of the biomagnetometer array using phantoms. 4. To integrate the biomagnetometer within a test system that is compatible with studies of pregnant women. 5. To make preliminary human subject measurements with the multichannel system. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Fetal magnetocardiography is an especially effective method for diagnosis of fetal arrhythmias. It can provide information that is not available through other technologies such as ultrasound. The proposed research into a new atomic magnetometer for fetal magnetocardiography has the potential to greatly reduce the cost and improve the performance of fetal magnetocardiography.