Neuromagnetic SQUID measurement in a superconducting magnetic shield

Author

Ohta, H. ; Aono, M. ; Matsui, T. ; Uchikawa, Y. ; Kobayashi, K. ; Tanabe, K. ; Takeuchi, S. ; Narasaki, K. ; Tsunematsu, S. ; Koyabu, Y. ; Kamekawa, Y. ; Nakayama, K. ; Shimizu, T. ; Koike ; Hoshino, K. ; Kotaka, H. ; Sudoh, E. ; Takahara, H. ; Yoshida, Y

Volume

9

Issue

2

fYear

1999

fDate

6/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

4073

Lastpage

4076

Abstract

A superconducting magnetic shield of high-Tc superconductor Bi(Pb)SrCaCuOx has been constructed whose diameter is 65 cm and length is 160 cm respectively. We have successfully observed somatosensory evoked magnetic fields coming out from human brains in the superconducting magnetic shield stimulating the median nerves of patients by current pulses. We made a 64-channel whole-head SQUID magnetometer of SNS (Superconductor/Normal metal/Superconductor) junctions. The sensitivities of the dc-SQUID of mesoscopic SNS junctions are around 5 fT//spl radic/(Hz) even in rather unfavorable surroundings. The magnetic shield can reduce a magnetic field to around -80 dB or 10/sup -4/ even at as low a frequency as 0.05 Hz.

Keywords

SQUID magnetometers; biomedical equipment; magnetic shielding; magnetoencephalography; somatosensory phenomena; superconductor-normal-superconductor devices; 160 cm; 65 cm; Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO; HTSC shield; current pulses; helmet-size shield; human brain; median nerves stimulation; mesoscopic SNS junctions; neuromagnetic SQUID measurement; somatosensory evoked magnetic fields; superconducting magnetic shield; superconductor-normal-superconductor junctions; whole-head SQUID magnetometer; Bismuth compounds; High temperature superconductors; Josephson junctions; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic shielding; SQUIDs; Superconducting coils; Superconducting devices; Superconducting films; Superconducting magnets;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8223

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/77.783921

Filename

783921