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Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Jens Haueisen
Director of the BMTI Institute and head of Biomedical Engineering Group
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Jens Haueisen
phone: +49 3677 69 2861
In this subproject, we at BMTI are interested in evaluating and validating the performance of a novel quantum magnetometer, also known as an optically pumped magnetometer (OPM), on a realistic, standardized head phantom and using in vivo measurements. Previous realistic head phantoms are always derived from the head geometry of a single subject. Therefore, a standardization procedure for head phantoms will be explored and a new standardized, realistically shaped, physical head phantom will be established. The standardized head phantom can be used in many other application scenarios, e.g., to analyze stimulation paradigms of transcranial current or magnetic stimulation, for electrical impedance tomography, to verify and validate source reconstruction methods, or to test new EEG caps and their electrodes. The 3D data of the head phantom is also customizable so that anatomical pathological scenarios can be tested. The standardized head phantom and the evaluation procedure thus have the potential to establish themselves as the new gold standard in neurotechnological research. The standardization and manufacturing process is transferable to the creation of other phantoms and thus in this respect universally applicable.
The performance of the OPM is evaluated by comparing measurements with OPMs, dry EEG electrodes, and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) on the standardized head phantom and under laboratory conditions on volunteers. Measurements on standardized head phantoms allow the controlled evaluation of the new sensors as well as the determination of uncertainties.