COMPACT MAGNETOMETER PROBE AND AN ARRAY OF THEM COVERING THEWHOLE HUMAN SKULL FOR MEASUREMENT OF MAGNETIC FIELDS ARISING FROM THE ACTIVITY OF THE BRAIN

摘要

The invention relates to a sensor element made of thin film components and fiber glass, and a support structure made of fiber glass; when the sensor elements are attached to the support structure, a sensor system suitable for magnetoencephalographic measurements is formed. A substrate containing a planar signal coil and a SQUID is attached on a circuit board made of fiber glass using a spring cut on the edge of the body plate. On the sensor element, there is a small but mechanically stable connector or several such connectors (5); when the sensor element is plugged in the receptacles (6) on the support structure (7), the element settles in a well defined orientation. The 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 means of springs (9) made of thin fiber glass plate in such a way 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 in a way 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 inserted in the dewar, the individual sensor elements lean against the dewar bottom (10) by aid of three feet (11), pressed by springs (9), settling perpendicularly to the normal of the dewar bottom passing through the center of the sensor element.