Patent · US Expired

Compact magnetometer probe and an array of them covering the whole human skull for measurement of magnetic fields arising from the activity of the brain

US5309095A · kind A · utility

78Cited by
5References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 1991
Grant dateMay 3, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S505/846
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A sensor element of thin film components and fiber glass, and a support structure of fiber glass; when sensor elements are attached to the support structure, a sensor system for magnetoencephalographic measurements is formed. A substrate containing a planar signal coil and a SQUID is attached on a circuit board of fiber glass using a spring cut on the edge of a body plate. On the sensor element, is a small but mechanically stable connector or several such connectors (5); when the sensor element is plugged in receptacles (6) on the support structure (7), the element settles in a well defined orientation. Support structure (7) is made of a fiber glass shell following the shape of the bottom (10) dewar vessel, adapted to the shape of the head. The receptacles (6) are attached to the glass fiber shell by springs (9) made of thin fiber glass plate such that an array covering the whole skull as evenly as possible is formed when the sensor elements are plugged to the receptacles. The spring is cut to enable rotation only around an arbitrary axis in the plane of the spring and a translation only in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the spring. When this support structure is inserte…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.