Simplified shielded MEG-MRI multimodal system with scalar-mode optically pumped magnetometers as MEG sensors

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) conventionally operates within high-performance magnetic shields due to the extremely weak magnetic field signals from the measured objects and the narrow dynamic range of the magnetic sensors employed for detection. This limitation results in elevated equipment costs and restricted usage. Additionally, the information obtained from MEG is functional images, and to analyze from which part of the brain the signals are coming, it is necessary to capture morphological images separately. When MEG and morphological imaging devices are separate, despite their individual high measurement accuracies, discrepancies in positional information may arise. In response, we have developed a low-field magnetic resonance imaging system that incorporates scalar-mode optically pumped magnetometers with a wide dynamic range and exceptionally high measurement sensitivity as sensors for MEG. Operating at low magnetic fields eliminates the need for superconducting coils in magnetic resonance imaging and the high-performance magnetic shields essential for MEG, promising a substantial cost reduction compared to traditional approaches. We achieved a noise level of about <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>16.7</mml:mn></mml:mrow> <mml:mspace></mml:mspace> <mml:msup><mml:mtext>pT/Hz</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> with a single channel magnetometer, and reached a noise level of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mn>367</mml:mn> <mml:mspace></mml:mspace> <mml:msup><mml:mtext>fT/cm/Hz</mml:mtext> <mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> with a baseline of 1 cm through differential measurements. We employed this system to conduct sequential OPM-based magnetic field measurements and MRI imaging, successfully demonstrating the compatibility of high OPM sensitivity with clear MRI acquisition.