Multimodal position transformation dual-helmet MEG apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12245858-B2
Application number	US-202217853827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2022
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus according to an example embodiment includes: an internal container storing a liquid refrigerant; an external container disposed to surround the internal container and including a first external helmet and a second external helmet disposed to be spaced apart from each other; a first sensor-mounted helmet disposed between the external container and the internal container to surround the first external helmet; a second sensor-mounted helmet disposed between the external container and the internal container to surround the second external helmet; a plurality of first SQUID sensor modules disposed on the first sensor-mounted helmet; and a plurality of second SQUID sensor modules disposed on the second sensor-mounted helmet. The internal container and the external container are tilted in a vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus comprising:
an internal container storing a liquid refrigerant;
an external container surrounding the internal container and including a first external helmet and a second external helmet spaced apart from each other;
a first sensor-mounted helmet between the external container and the internal container and surrounding the first external helmet;
a second sensor-mounted helmet between the external container and the internal container and surrounding the second external helmet;
a plurality of first SQUID sensor modules, each comprising a first SQUID sensor and a first pick-up coil, on the first sensor-mounted helmet; and
a plurality of second SQUID sensor modules, each comprising a second SQUID sensor and a second pick-up coil, on the second sensor-mounted helmet,
wherein the internal container and the external container are tilted in a vertical direction.

2. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the external container has a Y form,
one of the first external helmet and the second external helmet is parallel to measure a lying person, and
the other of the first external helmet and the second external helmet is tilted to measure a sitting person.

3. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotational motion unit coupled to the external container to rotate the external container about a central axis of the external container.

4. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising:
a tilt adjustment unit coupled to the rotational motion unit to adjust a tilt of the external container; and
a support portion supporting the tilt adjustment unit.

5. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the support portion includes a pair of partition walls.

6. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the tilt adjustment unit adjusts a position of one of the first external helmet and the second external helmet, for a sitting subject.

7. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the rotational motion unit includes a bearing comprising a non-conductive or non-magnetic material.

8. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the rotational motion unit is fixed to a ceiling of a magnetically shielded room using an external support portion, or to an additional support in the magnetically shielded room.

9. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the rotational motion unit provides a rotational motion for selecting a measurement position of the dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus, based on a central axis of the external container.

10. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first reference SQUID sensor module on the first sensor-mounted helmet; and
a second reference SQUID sensor module on the second sensor-mounted helmet,
wherein each of the first reference SQUID sensor module and the second reference SQUID sensor module includes a triaxial magnetic field sensor.

11. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the internal container comprises:
a neck portion,
a baffle insert in the neck portion; and
a body portion having an increased diameter as compared with the neck portion, and
wherein the neck portion has a double-wall structure including an internal cylinder and an external cylinder surrounding the internal cylinder.

12. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second external helmets has a first size for a head of a child.

13. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the other of the first and second external helmets has a second size for a head of an adult.

14. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the one of the first and second external helmets has a first structure optimized for a head size of the child, and the other of the first and second external helmets has a second structure optimized for a head size of the adult.

15. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the one of the first and second external helmets has 144 channels, and the other of the first and second external helmets has 192 channels.

16. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the first and second external helmets have central axes spaced apart from each other at an angle of about 110 degrees.

17. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the one of the first and second external helmets has a structure optimized for a head size of the child.

18. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second external helmets has a size for a head of an adult.

19. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the internal container and the external container are at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees from vertical.

20. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the internal container and the external container are at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees from vertical.

21. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 20 , wherein each of the first external helmet, the second external helmet, the internal container and the external container has a central axis, and the central axis of each of the first external helmet and the second external helmet is spaced apart from the central axis of the internal container at an angle of 125 degrees.

22. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the first external helmet, the second external helmet, the internal container and the external container has a central axis, and the central axis of each of the first external helmet and the second external helmet is spaced apart from the central axis of the internal container at an angle of 125 degrees.

23. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first external helmet and the second external helmet measures a sitting subject, the other of the first external helmet and the second external helmet measures a lying subject, and the external container has a central axis about which it rotates.

24. The dual-helmet magnetoencephalography measuring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a neck portion including an internal cylinder and an external cylinder surrounding the internal cylinder;
a refrigerant exhaust tube in the neck portion and configured to exhaust an evaporated refrigerant;
a refrigerant injection tube in the neck portion and injecting the liquid refrigerant; and
a condenser connected to the refrigerant exhaust tube and the refrigerant injection tube, configured to condense the evaporated refrigerant.

Assignees

• Korea Res Inst Standards & Sci

Inventors

• Yu Kwon-Kyu
• Lee Yong-Ho
• Kwon Hyukchan
• Kim Jin-Mok
• Lee Sang-Kil
• Kim Bokyung
• Kim Min-Young
• Kim Kiwong

Classifications

• G01R33/326

  involving a SQUID · CPC title

• A61B2562/066

  in a matrix array · CPC title

• A61B2562/0223

  Magnetic field sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/6803

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

• A61B5/4064 Primary

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title