Patent ID: 6735460
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: A61B,G01R

Abstract:
A biomagnetic field measuring apparatus comprising:a plurality of fluxmeters disposed externally of a living body, each fluxmeter including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) for detecting a biomagnetic field generated from said living body, said plurality of fluxmeters being operative to detect a magnetic field component (Bz(x, y, t)) in a z axis direction of said biomagnetic field, wherein a plane parallel to the surface of said living body corresponds to the xy plane of a Cartesian coordinate system and a direction perpendicular to the surface of said living body corresponds to the z axis of the Cartesian coordinate system; operation processing means for determining a value proportional to a root of S(x, y, t)={{âˆ‚Bz(x, y, t)/âˆ‚x}2+{âˆ‚Bz(x, y, t)/âˆ‚y}2}from said magnetic field component (Bz(x, y, t)) in the z axis direction, and for determining an isomagnetic field map obtained by connecting points at which said values proportional to said root are equal to each other; anddisplay means for displaying said isomagnetic field map; wherein said operation processing means solves an inverse problem for estimating a position and a magnitude of a magnetic field source within said living body, using the number of peaks and position data of said peaks in said isomagnetic field map as initial values for solving said inverse problem, and said position data and said number of peaks are designated on said isomagnetic field map as said initial values for solving said inverse problem.