Small animal biomagnetism applications

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of highly sensitive magnetometers for non-invasive biomagnetic recordings in animal models, demonstrating their application in detecting nerve impulses and heartbeats in frogs and guinea pigs.

Contribution

It presents experimental results on detecting nerve impulses and cardiac activity in animal models using optically pumped magnetometers, highlighting their potential in biomedical research.

Findings

Successful detection of nerve impulses in frog sciatic nerve.

Detection of heartbeat in isolated guinea pig heart.

Demonstrates feasibility of biomagnetic recordings in small animal models.

Abstract

The functioning of the human brain, nervous system and heart is based on the conduction of electrical signals. These electrical signals also create magnetic fields which extend outside the human body. Highly sensitive magnetometers, such as superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers or optically pumped magnetometers, placed outside the human body can detect these biomagnetic fields and provide non-invasive measurements of e.g. brain activity, nerve impulses, and cardiac activity. Animal models are used widely in medical research, including for disease diagnostics and for drugs testing. We review the topic of biomagnetic recordings on animal models using optically pumped magnetometers, and present our experiments on detecting nerve impulses in the frog sciatic nerve and the heart beat in an isolated guinea pig heart.