Investigation of a Lorentz force biomagnetometer

This work evaluates an approach to the noninvasive measurement of small ionic current flows by a technique of Lorentz force magnetometry. An instrument was constructed that is basically a very sensitive force-balance that can measure Lorentz forces experienced by ionic currents flowing in small obje...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on biomedical engineering 1997-06, Vol.44 (6), p.455-461
Main Author: Towe, B.C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biothermics. Biomagnetism. Bioelectricity
Current measurement
Electromagnetic Fields
Equipment Design
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Force measurement
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Image reconstruction
Immune system
Instruments
Lorentz covariance
Magnetic field measurement
Magnetic moments
Magnetics
Microscopy
Noninvasive treatment
Sensitivity and Specificity
Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics
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Summary:This work evaluates an approach to the noninvasive measurement of small ionic current flows by a technique of Lorentz force magnetometry. An instrument was constructed that is basically a very sensitive force-balance that can measure Lorentz forces experienced by ionic currents flowing in small objects when exposed to strong oscillating magnetic fields. For objects that can fit on a microscope slide, the system is sensitive to ion current dipole moments as low as 180 pA-m. Images were made of ionic currents flowing in thin profiles by a process of scanning a localized magnetic field over the object, measuring generated Lorentz forces, and using a computer to reconstruct images. It can be shown that this method of Lorentz magnetometry has an immunity to ambient magnetic noise and has system characteristics that might suggest its possible use in biomagnetometry of small thin specimens.
ISSN:0018-9294
1558-2531
DOI:10.1109/10.581933