SQUID Biomagnetometer Systems for Non-invasive Investigation of Spinal Cord Dysfunction

Abstract

We are investigating an application of the biomagnetic measurement to non-invasive diagnosis of spinal cord function. Two multichannel superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) biomagnetometer systems for the measurement of the evoked magnetic field from spinal cords were developed as hospital-use apparatuses. One is optimized for sitting subjects. Another is for supine subjects. Both systems are equipped with an array of vector SQUID gradiometers. The conduction velocity, which is one of the significant information for the functional diagnosis of the spinal cord, was non-invasively estimated by the magnetic measurement.