Magnetometry of injury currents from human nerve and muscle specimens using superconducting quantum interferences devices.
Acute lesions of polarized membranes lead to slowly decaying ('near-DC') injury currents driven by the transmembrane resting potential gradient. Here we report the first recordings of injury-related near-DC magnetic fields from human nerve and muscle specimens in vitro using Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) operated in a conventional magnetically shielded room in a clinical environment. The specimen position was modulated sinusoidally beneath the sensor array by a non-magnetically fabricated scissors lift to improve the signal-to-noise ratio for near-DC fields. Depending on the specimen geometry the field patterns showed dipolar or quadrupolar aspects. The slow decay of human nerve and muscle injury currents was monitored for several hours from a distance of a few centimeters. Thus DC-magnetometry provides a sensitivity which might allow the remote detection of injury currents also in vivo.
Mackert
B M
BM
Department of Neurology, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany. macbm@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Mackert
J
J
Wübbeler
G
G
Armbrust
F
F
Wolff
K D
KD
Burghoff
M
M
Trahms
L
L
Curio
G
G
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011789:Quantum Theory; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System