- AI
- Molecular Imaging
- CT
- X-Ray
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Facility Management
- Mammography
New Magnetic Sensor Picks Up Weaker Brain Waves, Potentially Improving Diagnosis
Optically pumped magnetometer sensor detects magnetic signals that could augment the detection of traumatic brain injury and disease.
A newly developed sensor can measure weak magnetic brain signals that are easier to pinpoint than the electrical signals picked up by electroencephalogram.
These magnetic signals, measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG), are useful for earlier and more accurate diagnosis, potentially improving how providers understand connectivity in the brain and detecting signs of traumatic brain injury, dementia, and schizophrenia.
A team from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom published their work recently in NeuroImage.
“We know that early diagnosis improves outcomes and this technology could provide the sensitivity to detect the earliest changes in brain activity in conditions like schizophrenia, dementia, and ADHD,” said Ole Jensen, neuroscience professor and co-director of the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health.
For more coverage based on industry expert insights and research, subscribe to the Diagnostic Imaging e-Newsletter here.
To reach that goal, a team of scientists led by Anna Kowalczyk, a physicist with the School of Physics and Astronomy and the School of Psychology, designed a new optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) sensor that uses polarized light to detect changes in orientation of the way atoms spin when they are exposed to a magnetic field. These sensors are used in the MEG laboratories.
According to their results, not only do these sensors do a better job than commercially available sensors of detecting brain signals, but they also can distinguish them from background magnetic noise. Being able to make that differentiation means there is a possibility of MEG testing outside a specialized unit or hospital ward.
In addition, Kowalczyk said, the OPM sensor does not require a helium-cooling system to keep it constantly cool, nor does it need a zero-magnetic field environment to pick up brain signals. As a result, she said, the expectation is that these new sensors will extend the use of MEG for diagnosis and treatment.
The team is currently looking for research partners, they said, to explore how this sensor can be used for better diagnostics in neurological injury, neurological disorders, such as dementia, and psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia.
New Study Examines Short-Term Consistency of Large Language Models in Radiology
November 22nd 2024While GPT-4 demonstrated higher overall accuracy than other large language models in answering ACR Diagnostic in Training Exam multiple-choice questions, researchers noted an eight percent decrease in GPT-4’s accuracy rate from the first month to the third month of the study.
FDA Grants Expanded 510(k) Clearance for Xenoview 3T MRI Chest Coil in GE HealthCare MRI Platforms
November 21st 2024Utilized in conjunction with hyperpolarized Xenon-129 for the assessment of lung ventilation, the chest coil can now be employed in the Signa Premier and Discovery MR750 3T MRI systems.
New Study Examines Agreement Between Radiologists and Referring Clinicians on Follow-Up Imaging
November 18th 2024Agreement on follow-up imaging was 41 percent more likely with recommendations by thoracic radiologists and 36 percent less likely on recommendations for follow-up nuclear imaging, according to new research.
