Wearable quantum MEG sensors to record brain activity during everyday life
Development of Quantum Magnetic Tunneling Junction Sensor Arrays for Brain Magnetoencephalography (MEG) under Natural Settings
This project builds tiny quantum sensors to record your brain’s magnetic signals during normal activities so brain scans can become portable and motion-tolerant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11146341 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are improving nanoscale quantum magnetic tunnel junction sensors to boost sensitivity by orders of magnitude and make triaxial sensors that detect very small brain magnetic fields (around 50 fT). The team plans to assemble a whole-head, 300-channel MEG array that can operate untethered without a magnetically shielded room and that tolerates natural head motion. Engineers and neuroscientists will prototype devices, integrate them into a wearable helmet-like system, and test signal quality in realistic, non-lab environments. Early work focuses on sensor performance and system engineering, with later stages expected to include human recordings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for later-stage testing would include people with neurological conditions that affect brain activity (for example epilepsy, movement disorders, or cognitive disorders) as well as healthy volunteers able to wear a head-mounted sensor array.
Not a fit: People with ferromagnetic or electronic implants not compatible with magnetic sensing or those needing invasive monitoring may not benefit from this non-invasive sensor technology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable convenient, non-invasive brain monitoring outside the clinic to improve diagnosis and tracking of neurological conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Conventional SQUID-based MEG and newer optically pumped magnetometer systems have proven useful, but using solid-state quantum MTJ sensors for whole-head, untethered MEG is novel and largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xiao, Gang — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Xiao, Gang
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.