ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER FOR FETAL BIOMAGNETISM

描述（由申请人提供）：本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）系统的光学磁力计。我们认为，拟议的磁力计代表了SQUID磁力计的第一个可行的替代方案，因此，生物磁学领域的研究的潜在影响是巨大的。我们已经开发了一种新型的，小体积的单通道原子生物磁力计，并已使用它来检测成人MCG信号。磁力计具有足够高的灵敏度，其具有胎儿MCG能力。下一步是为快速消费品开发实用的多通道、多维、低成本原子磁力仪。具体目标是：1.将我们的单通道矢量磁力仪的噪声性能在1-100 Hz带宽上提高到20 fT/ Hz。2.利用集成光学和电子学技术将其进一步放大到10 cm的对角线尺寸，并设计和制作了适合于fMCG研究的四通道原子生物磁测量仪。3.利用体模对生物磁传感器阵列的技术性能进行测试和评价。4.将生物磁力计整合到与孕妇研究兼容的测试系统中。5.使用多通道系统对人体进行初步测量。公共卫生相关性：胎儿心磁图是诊断胎儿心律失常特别有效的方法。它可以提供通过其他技术（如超声波）无法获得的信息。本研究提出一种新的原子磁力仪用于胎儿心磁图的研究，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.