Systems and methods for recording neural activity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11779251-B2
Application number	US-202117328235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A shielding arrangement for a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system includes a passively shielded enclosure having a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls including passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure; a vestibular wall extending from a first vertical wall to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure; and active shield coils distributed within the passively shielded enclosure and configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shielding arrangement for a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system comprising a MEG measurement device, the shielding arrangement comprising:
a passively shielded enclosure comprising a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls comprising passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure, wherein the plurality of walls comprises a floor, a ceiling, and a first vertical wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure;
a vestibular wall extending from the first vertical wall to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure;
a plurality of active shield coils distributed within the passively shielded enclosure and configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure;
at least one sensing modality disposed in the passively shielded enclosure to monitor a position or orientation of the MEG measurement device within the passively shielded enclosure; and
an active shield controller coupleable to the active shield coils and to the at least one sensing modality and configured to alter generation of magnetic fields by the active shield coils in response to the monitored position or orientation of the MEG measurement device.

2. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.

3. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein all of the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.

4. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.

5. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls comprises a plurality of vertical walls including the first vertical wall, wherein the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the vertical walls.

6. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels.

7. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active shield coils comprises at least thirty active shield coils.

8. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the vestibular wall extends between the floor and the ceiling.

9. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the vestibular wall extends at least halfway between the first vertical wall and another of the walls.

10. The shielding arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform.

11. A magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, comprising:
a passively shielded enclosure comprising a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls comprising passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure;
a wearable MEG measurement device comprising a plurality of optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) and a plurality of wearable active shield coils disposed adjacent the OPMs to reduce the ambient background magnetic field experienced by the OPMs;
a plurality of stationary active shield coils within the passively shielded enclosure and stationary relative to the passively shielded enclosure and the wearable MEG measurement device, wherein the plurality of stationary active shield coils are configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within a user area of the passively shielded enclosure;
at least one sensing modality disposed in the passively shielded enclosure to monitor a position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device; and
an active shield controller coupleable to the stationary active shield coils and the at least one sensing modality and configured to alter generation of magnetic fields by the stationary active shield coils in response to the monitored position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device.

12. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the stationary active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.

13. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein all of the stationary active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.

14. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the stationary active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.

15. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the stationary active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels.

16. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of stationary active shield coils comprises at least thirty of the stationary active shield coils.

17. The MEG system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of walls comprises a floor, a ceiling, and a first wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure, the passively shielded enclosure further comprising a vestibular wall extending from the first wall toward another of the walls to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

18. The MEG system of claim 11 , further comprising a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform.

Assignees

• Hi Llc

Inventors

• Alford Jamu
• Ledbetter Micah
• Jiménez-Martínez Ricardo
• Pratt Ethan

Classifications

• A61B5/245 Primary

  specially adapted for magnetoencephalographic [MEG] signals · CPC title

• A61B5/6803

  Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles · CPC title

• G01R33/26

  using optical pumping · CPC title

• A61B2562/182

  Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage · CPC title

• A61B5/0046 Primary

  Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room, e.g. room provided with shielding or for improved access to apparatus · CPC title