Hitachi, Ltd.

Shoji Kondo

Akihiko Kandori

Keiji Tsukada

Hitoshi Sasabuchi

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Yasuaki Komiyama

Kenichi Okajima

Ryuichi Shinomura

Tsuyoshi Miyashita

Kenji Teshigawara

A biomagnetic field measuring apparatus has a plurality of fluxmeters disposed externally of a living body and each including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) for detecting a biomagnetic field generated from the living body, the plurality of fluxmeters being operative to detect a temporal change of a component of the biomagnetic field in a first direction which is vertical to the surface of the living body, an operation processor for performing computation for determining a temporal change of a value proportional to a root of square sum of differential value of the first-direction magnetic field component in second and third directions which cross the first direction and computation for integrating the temporal change of the value over a predetermined interval to determine an integral value, and a display for displaying the determined integral value. Distribution of magnetic fields generated from the heart is determined with a small number of fluxmeters.

Biomagnetic field measuring method and apparatus

In the present invention, when measuring magnetism of a measuring portion of a patient by making use of a dewar incorporating magnetism sensors each including a super conducting quantum interference device, a bed is at first positioned outside a position immediately below the dewar. At this position outside the position immediately below the dewar the patient is laid on the bed in an inspection posture. Marks are attached on the body of the patient at three points for setting X and Y axis coordinate on the measurement portion, at the position outside the position immediately below the dewar cross shaped beam patterns are projected and the position of the bed is adjusted so that the marks at the three points locate on the cross shaped beam patterns, thereafter, bed is transferred by a constant amount to the position immediately below the dewar. Thereby, in the biomagnetism measurement the correlated position between the dewar (magnetism sensors) and the measurement portion of the patient can be ascertained easily and accurately.

Biomagnetism measurement device and method of biomagnetism measurement using the device

First and second markers are disposed respectively on the processus xiphoideus and the incisura jugularis of the subject to be inspected. The chest of the subject is positioned below the cryostat so that a line joining the first and second markers extends in one direction in which sensors are arranged in the interior of the cryostat. Processing includes (1) forming, from magnetic waveform signals, an image representing the activity of the heart of the subject, (2) making the pixel size of a morphological image, including the heart photographed by an image pickup device, coincident with the pixel size of functional information and forming a functional image equal in pixel size to the morphological image, (3) making the position of the first marker in the functional image and the position of the first marker in the morphological image coincident, and (4) combining the functional image and the morphological image.

Biomagnetic field measuring apparatus

A biomagnetic field measurement apparatus includes a bed which holds a subject to be inspected in a shielded room. A cryostat holds a plurality of SQUID magnetometers at low temperature. The cryostat is arranged in the shielded room and the plurality of SQUID magnetometers detect a magnetic field generated from the subject. A driving and detecting circuit drives the plurality of SQUID magnetometers and detects signals therefrom that are processed by a computer. A display that is arranged in the shielded room displays data for viewing by an operator.

A biomagnetic field measuring apparatus has a plurality of fluxmeters disposed externally of a living body and each including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) for detecting a biomagnetic field generated from the living body, the plurality of fluxmeters being operative to detect a temporal change of a component of the biomagnetic field in a first direction which is normal to the surface of the living body, an operation processor for performing computation for determining a temporal change of a value proportional to a root of square sum of differential values of the first-direction magnetic field component in second and third directions which cross the first direction and computation for integrating the temporal change of the value over a predetermined interval to determine an integral value, and a display for displaying the determined integral value. Distribution of magnetic fields generated from the heart is determined with a small number of fluxmeters.

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Shoji Kondo