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Dear Colleagues,

High-performance magnetic sensing is a powerful tool used for probing biological, chemical, and physical systems. Indeed, many sophisticated research experiments and applications rely on the measurement of extremely weak magnetic ﬁelds (such as biomagnetism and magnetic microscopy). Furthermore, magnetic sensing at the nanoscale level is a promising and interesting research topic within nanoscience.

Therefore, in recent decades, many efforts have been devoted to the development of different ultrasensitive magnetic sensors, such as atomic magnetometers, based on detecting the Larmor spin precession of optically pumped atoms, surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors, diamond magnetometers based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in room-temperature diamond, and micro- and nano-superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs).

In addition to the study of complex organs (such as the brain and the heart), some of the aforementioned sensors can also be successfully used for the study of molecules of biological interest.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an updated overview on the development of ultra-high-sensitivity sensors and their biomedical applications. Both original research articles and reviews are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Carmine Granata
Dr. Antonio Vettoliere
Guest Editors

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Keywords

ultra-high-sensitivity superconducting magnetometers
optically pumped magnetometers
giant magneto-resistant (GMR) sensors
magnetic sensing with a nitrogen vacancy in diamond
surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors
spin exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometers
nanoelectromechanical and microelectromechanical systems (NEMSs and MEMSs)
magnetoencephalography
susceptometry
magnetic relaxation immunoassay
low fled magnetic resonance imaging

Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 3684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Noise Reduction and Localization Accuracy in a Mobile Magnetoencephalography System

by Timothy Bardouille, Vanessa Smith, Elias Vajda, Carson Drake Leslie and Niall Holmes

Sensors 2024, 24(11), 3503; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24113503 - 29 May 2024

Viewed by 135

Abstract

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) non-invasively provides important information about human brain electrophysiology. The growing use of optically pumped magnetometers (OPM) for MEG, as opposed to fixed arrays of cryogenic sensors, has opened the door for innovation in system design and use cases. For example, cryogenic MEG systems are housed in large, shielded rooms to provide sufficient space for the system dewar. Here, we investigate the performance of OPM recordings inside of a cylindrical shield with a 1 × 2 m² footprint. The efficacy of shielding was measured in terms of field attenuation and isotropy, and the value of post hoc noise reduction algorithms was also investigated. Localization accuracy was quantified for 104 OPM sensors mounted on a fixed helmet array based on simulations and recordings from a bespoke current dipole phantom. Passive shielding attenuated the vector field magnitude to 50.0 nT at direct current (DC), to 16.7 pT/√Hz at power line, and to 71 fT/√Hz (median) in the 10–200 Hz range. Post hoc noise reduction provided an additional 5–15 dB attenuation. Substantial field isotropy remained in the volume encompassing the sensor array. The consistency of the isotropy over months suggests that a field nulling solution could be readily applied. A current dipole phantom generating source activity at an appropriate magnitude for the human brain generated field fluctuations on the order of 0.5–1 pT. Phantom signals were localized with 3 mm localization accuracy, and no significant bias in localization was observed, which is in line with performance for cryogenic and OPM MEG systems. This validation of the performance of a small footprint MEG system opens the door for lower-cost MEG installations in terms of raw materials and facility space, as well as mobile imaging systems (e.g., truck-based). Such implementations are relevant for global adoption of MEG outside of highly resourced research and clinical institutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Sensors and Their Biomedical Applications)

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14 pages, 3146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Brain Fingerprint Stability: A Magnetoencephalography Validation Study

by Michele Ambrosanio, Emahnuel Troisi Lopez, Arianna Polverino, Roberta Minino, Lorenzo Cipriano, Antonio Vettoliere, Carmine Granata, Laura Mandolesi, Giuseppe Curcio, Giuseppe Sorrentino and Pierpaolo Sorrentino

Sensors 2024, 24(7), 2301; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24072301 - 4 Apr 2024

Viewed by 765

Abstract

This study examined the stability of the functional connectome (FC) over time using fingerprint analysis in healthy subjects. Additionally, it investigated how a specific stressor, namely sleep deprivation, affects individuals’ differentiation. To this aim, 23 healthy young adults underwent magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording at three equally spaced time points within 24 h: 9 a.m., 9 p.m., and 9 a.m. of the following day after a night of sleep deprivation. The findings indicate that the differentiation was stable from morning to evening in all frequency bands, except in the delta band. However, after a night of sleep deprivation, the stability of the FCs was reduced. Consistent with this observation, the reduced differentiation following sleep deprivation was found to be negatively correlated with the effort perceived by participants in completing the cognitive task during sleep deprivation. This correlation suggests that individuals with less stable connectomes following sleep deprivation experienced greater difficulty in performing cognitive tasks, reflecting increased effort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Sensors and Their Biomedical Applications)

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