Magnetics Business & Technology - Summer 2012 - (Page 16)

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Providing Innovative Magnetic Solutions Research & development Engineering services Modeling & simulation (FEA/CAD/CAE) Product design & prototyping Product upgrading Processes optimization Measurement & monitoring Testing & validation Training Whether you are an end-user of magnetic products or a company that needs assistance designing, manufacturing or upgrading motion systems (rotary, linear and/or nonlinear), our multidisciplinary engineering knowledge, experience and proprietary processes make us the right choice for all of your magnetic needs. Contact us today to find out how we can help you achieve your goals. NIST Mini-Sensor Measures Magnetic Activity in Human Brain A miniature atom-based magnetic sensor developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has passed an important research milestone by successfully measuring human brain activity. Experiments verify the sensor's potential for biomedical applications such as studying mental processes and advancing the understanding of neurological diseases. NIST and German scientists used the NIST sensor to measure alpha waves in the brain associated with a person opening and closing their eyes as well as signals resulting from stimulation of the hand. The measurements were verified by comparing them with signals recorded by a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device). SQUIDs are the world’s most NIST's atom-based magnetic sensor, about the size sensitive commercially available magne- of a sugar cube, can measure human brain activity. Inside the sensor head is a container of 100 tometers and are considered the gold stan- billion rubidium atoms (not seen), packaged with dard for such experiments. The NIST mini- micro-optics (a prism and a lens are visible in the sensor is slightly less sensitive now but has center cutout). The light from a low-power infrathe potential for comparable performance red laser interacts with the atoms and is transmitted through the grey fiber-optic cable to register while offering potential advantages in size, the magnetic field strength. The black and white portability and cost. wires are electrical connections. Credit: NIST The study results indicate the NIST minisensor may be useful in magnetoencephalography (MEG), a noninvasive procedure that measures the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain. MEG is used for basic research on perceptual and cognitive processes in healthy subjects as well as screening of visual perception in newborns and mapping brain activity prior to surgery to remove tumors or treat epilepsy. MEG also might be useful in brain-computer interfaces. MEG currently relies on SQUID arrays mounted in heavy helmet-shaped flasks containing cryogenic coolants because SQUIDs work best at 4° above absolute zero, or -269°C. The chip-scale NIST sensor is about the size of a sugar cube and operates at room temperature, so it might enable lightweight and flexible MEG helmets. It also would be less expensive to mass produce than typical atomic magnetometers, which are larger and more difficult to fabricate and assemble. “We’re focusing on making the sensors small, getting them close to the signal source, and making them manufacturable and ultimately low in cost,” said NIST co-author Svenja Knappe. “By making an inexpensive system you could have one in every hospital to test for traumatic brain injuries and one for every football team.” The mini-sensor consists of a container of about 100 billion rubidium atoms in a gas, a low-power infrared laser and fiber optics for detecting the light signals that register magnetic field strength; the atoms absorb more light as the magnetic field increases. The sensor has been improved since it was used to measure human heart activity in 2010. NIST scientists redesigned the heaters that vaporize the atoms and switched to a different type of optical fiber to enhance signal clarity. The brain experiments were carried out in a magnetically shielded facility at the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Berlin, Germany, which has an ongoing program in biomagnetic imaging using human subjects. The NIST sensor measured magnetic signals of about 1 picotesla (trillionths of a tesla). For comparison, the Earth's magnetic field is 50 million times stronger (at 50 millionths of a tesla). NIST scientists expect to boost the mini-sensor's performance about tenfold by increasing the amount of light detected. Calculations suggest an enhanced sensor could match the sensitivity of SQUIDS. NIST scientists are also working on a preliminary multi-sensor magnetic imaging system in a prelude to testing clinically relevant applications. www.apexmagnetic.com info@apexmagnetic.com 865 684-7438 Engineering Services services@apexmagnetic.com 16 Magnetics Business & Technology • Summer 2012 www.MagneticsMagazine.com http://www.apexmagnetic.com http://www.MagneticsMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Magnetics Business & Technology - Summer 2012

Magnetics Business & Technology - Summer 2012
Editor's Choice
Injection Molded Magnets for Electrical Machines
The Process of Developing and Testing a New Transformer
Rare Earths & Corporate Social Responsibility
Research & Development
RE-use, RE-duce, RE-cycle, RE-place
Magnets • Materials • Measurement
Application • Component Developments
Industry News
Rare Earth Crisis Dissected: Securing the Future
Marketplace
Advertising Index
Spontaneous Thoughts: The End of Axial Pressing?

Magnetics Business & Technology - Summer 2012