Patent ID: 10725123

Abstract:
A gradiometer system including one or more magnetic sensor(s) is disclosed. The gradiometer includes an actuation module connectable to the magnetic sensor(s) to vary one or more sensing positions at which a magnetic field is sensed thereby. The one or more sensing positions are varied according to a certain displacement function indicating a predetermined displacement between the sensing positions as a function of time. A controller of the gradiometer system is adapted to determine at least one vector component of a gradient of the magnetic field sensed by the sensor(s) by carrying out the following: (i) obtaining readout data from the sensor(s) indicative of the magnetic field sensed at the varied sensing positions during a certain measurement time duration; (ii) processing the readout data to determine a differential magnetic field time profile indicating a difference between the magnetic fields sensed at at least two of the sensing positions during the measurement time duration; and (iii) demodulating the differential magnetic field time profile in accordance with the displacement function to thereby determine a demodulated time profile indicative of the at least one vector component of the gradient of the measured magnetic field.