• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2009

We have fabricated a low-noise 61-channel axial-type first-order gradiometer system for measuring fetal magnetocardiography(MCG) signals. Superconducting quantum interference device(SQUID) sensor was based on double relaxation oscillation SQUID(DROS) for detecting biomagnetic signal, such as MCG, magnetoencphalogram(MEG) and fetal-MCG. The SQUID sensor detected axial component of fetal MCG signal. The pickup coil of SQUID sensor was wound with 120 ${\mu}m$ NbTi wire on bobbin(20 mm diameter) and was a first-order gradiometer to reject the environment noise. The sensors have low white noise of 3 $fT/Hz^{1/2}$ at 100 Hz on average. The fetal MCG was measured from $24{\sim}36$ weeks fetus in a magnetically shielded room(MSR) with shielding factor of 35 dB at 0.1 Hz and 80 dB at 100 Hz(comparatively mild shielding). The MCG signal contained maternal and fetal MCG. Fetal MCG could be distinguished relatively easily from maternal MCG by using independent component analysis(ICA) filter. In addition, we could observe T peak as well as QRS wave, respectively. It will be useful in detecting fetal cardiac diseases.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 2010

We have fabricated the low noise liquid helium(LHe) dewar with a different shape of thermal shield to apply the 64-channel SQUID(Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) gradiometer. The first shape of thermal shield was made of an aluminum plate with a wide width of 100 mm slit and the other shape was modified with a narrow width of 20 mm slit. The two types of dewars were estimated by comparing the thermal noise and the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) of magnetocardiography(MCG) using the $1^{st}$ order SQUID gradiometer system cooled each dewar. The white noise was different as a point of the dewar. The noise was increased as close as the edge of dewar, and also increased at the thermal shield with the more wide width slit. The white noise of the dewar with thermal shield of 100 mm slit was 6.5 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$ at the center of dewar and 25 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$ at the edge, and the white noise of the other one was 3.5 - 7 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$. We measured the MCG using 64-channel SQUID gradiometer cooled at each LHe dewar and compared the SNR of MCG signal. The SNR was improved of 10 times at the LHe dewar with a modified thermal shield.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.154-163
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• 2006

A 64-channel magnetocardiogram (MCG) system using low-noise superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) planar gradiometers was developed for the measurements of cardiac magnetic fields generated by the heart electric activity. Owing to high flux-to-voltage transfers of double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS) sensors, the flux-locked loop electronics for SQUID operation could be made simpler than that of conventional DC SQUIDs, and the SQUID control was done automatically through a fiber-optic cable. The pickup coils are first-order planar gradiometers with a baseline of 4 em. The insert has 64 planar gradiometers as the sensing channels and were arranged to measure MCG field components tangential to the chest surface. When the 64-channel insert was in operation everyday, the average boil-off rate of the dewar was 3.6 Lid. The noise spectrum of the SQUID planar gradiometer system was about 5 fT$_{rms}$/$\checkmark$Hz at 100 Hz, operated inside a moderately shielded room. The MCG measurements were done at a sampling rate of 500 Hz or 1 kHz, and realtime display of MCG traces and heart rate were displayed. After the acquisition, magnetic field mapping and current mapping could be done. From the magnetic and current information, parameters for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia were evaluated to be compared with other diagnostic methods.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2009

We have investigated the characteristics of a superconductive Pb shield for hemispherical shape and plate to improving signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) of biomagnetism. We measured the shielding factor for the position of helmet shape Pb and for changing the distance from Pb surface. To make a uniform magnetic field, a $1.5m{\times}1.5m$ set of the helmholtz coils activated at several frequencies. The shielding factor of hemispherical shape Pb was from 20 to 57 dB and of Pb plate was about $6{\sim}26dB$ as a function of distance from the lead surface. The shielding factor was rapidly reduced as increasing the distance from Pb surface. The white noise of superconductive quantum interference device(SQUID) with a superconductive shield was about $12fT/Hz^{1/2}$ at 1 Hz, $7fT/Hz^{1/2}$ at 100 Hz. The white noise was more increased about two times than conventional SQUID system without Pb shielding. An auditory signal was measured by first order gradiometer and magnetometer with Pb superconductive shield and compared the SNR. The SQUID system with Pb shield had better performance at low frequency noise level.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2009

A current limiter was manufactured using a Josephson junction array to cut off an excessive current flowing into the SQUID sensor. The Fabricateed Josephson junction array was connected in series with a flux transformer that consists of a pick-up coil and an input coil, and the flux transformer was inductively coupled with a Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUID(DROS). The flux-voltage modulation curve was induced by applying an AC magnetic field whose magnitude was far smaller than that of the DC magnetic field. A change in the flux-voltage modulation curve of the SQUID was observed while the DC magnetic field was increased, to qualitatively examine the current limiting characteristic of the Josephson junction array. As a result, it was found that the SQUID flux-voltage modulation curve disappeared at the critical current of the Josephson junction array, which indicates that the Josephson junction array properly works as a current limiter.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

In order to have a superconductive connection between the wire-wound pickup coil and input coil, typically Nb terminal blocks with screw holes are used. Since this connection structure occupies large volume, large stray pickup area can be generated which can pickup external noise fields. Thus, SQUID and connection block are shielded inside a superconducting tube, and this SQUID module is located at some distance from the distal coil of the gradiometer to minimize the distortion or imbalance of uniform background field due to the superconducting module. To operate this conventional SQUID module, we need a higher liquid He level, resulting in shorter refill interval. To make the fabrication of gradiometers simpler and refill interval longer, we developed a novel method of connecting the pickup coil into the input coil. Gradiometer coil wound of 0.125-mm diameter NbTi wires were glued close to the input coil pads of SQUID. The superconductive connection was made using an ultrasonic bonding of annealed 0.025-mm diameter Nb wires, bonded directly on the surface of NbTi wires where insulation layer was stripped out. The reliability of the superconductive bonding was good enough to sustain several thermal cycling. The stray pickup area due to this connection structure is about $0.1\;mm^2$, much smaller than the typical stray pickup area using the conventional screw block method. By using this compact connection structure, the position of the SQUID sensor is only about 20-30 mm from the distal coil of the gradiometer. Based on this compact module, we fabricated a magnetocardiography system having 61 first-order axial gradiometers, and measured MCG signals. The gradiometers have a coil diameter of 20 mm, and the baseline is 70 mm. The 61 axial gradiometer bobbins were distributed in a hexagonal lattice structure with a sensor interval of 26 mm, measuring $dB_z/dz$ component of magnetocardiography signals.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2011

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$/cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2007

We have installed a 61-channel magnetocardiography (MCG) system inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR) with a size of $2.4\;m\;{\times}2.4\;m\;{\times}2.4\;m$. The MCG system consists of 1st-order axial gradiometers containing double relaxation oscillation SQUIDs (DROSs) with pick-up coils of a base line of 70 mm. The MSR holds a shielding factor of 50 at 0.1 Hz and 10000 at 100 Hz, when its door in the middle on a front wall is closed. On opening the MSR door, we have obtained the characteristics of the MCG system with a 2.9 Hz noise generated from an air conditioning unit at 13 m distance off the MSR. In an open-door MSR ($140^{\circ}$ opening), a noise at the center channel increases up to $700\;fT/Hz^{l/2}$ at 2.9 Hz and $1.7\;pT/Hz^{1/2}$ at 60 Hz. MCG signals for a healthy human do not show distortion until the door opens to $45^{\circ}$, but show the effect of noise when the door opens further at $90^{\circ}$ and $140^{\circ}$. With the door opens to $45^{\circ}$, MCG measurement can be performed with ease of door operation and without creating claustrophobia for the patient.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.10
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• pp.213-220
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• 2014

Korean magnetoencephalography (MEG) system had been developed and installed to hospital. The Korean MEG system contains helmet-shaped arrays of 152 first-order double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS) sensor. As a clinical application we have measured and analyzed evoked responses in patients with functional brain disease by outer stimulation as follows; 1) auditory evoked field in patients with hemifacial spasm, 2) somatosensory evoked fields in patients with tumor. We confirm that neuromagnetic data by Korean MEG system can provide useful information for pre-surgical planning or functional brain research.