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Vibrotactile technology has been gaining increasing interest for effective human-computer communication in various applications. In addition to psychophysical approaches commonly used to study tactile vibrations, neurocognitive responses to vibrotactile stimuli can provide new insights into mechanisms underlying human vibrotactile perception. In this study, we developed a magnetoencephalography (MEG)-compatible vibrotactile stimulation device based on a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel actuator to study neuromagnetic somatosensory responses. A symmetric, double-layered PVC gel structure was applied to minimize the magnetic noise from the actuator. The device was used to generate sinusoidal stimuli at high frequencies to activate mechanoreceptors responsible for high-frequency vibrations greater than 50 Hz, and this device showed very little variability in stimulation onset time from the displacement measurements. We successfully observed vibrotactile-evoked magnetic fields by analyzing whole-head MEG data recorded during the high-frequency vibrotactile stimulation of the fingertips. Prominent peak responses were observed at approximately 56 ms (M50) in the contralateral hemisphere and at approximately 100 ms (M100) in both hemispheres. We identified the activation of contralateral primary somatosensory areas as a source of the vibrotactile M50 response. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using our new device to study vibrotactile perception with neuromagnetic imaging methods.

Magnetocardiography (MCG) using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensor has been known for a noninvasive, noncontact, and safe diagnostic tool to detect ischemic heart disease such as angina and myocardial infarction. The magnetic distribution generated by the electrical activation of the heart reveals the abnormality of the myocardial status. The bust depth of people in 20s and 70s are much different, and the greatest difference is up to 154 mm. The purpose of this study is to identify whether MCG signals and parameter values are changed at the different locations of the SQUID sensor assembly. It would be an important reference for the standard measurement. Four healthy male subjects (33.3 ± 6.3 years) participated in this study. The distance between the chest surface and the bottom of the sensor assembly was 20, 40, 60, and 80 mm. Recording was made using 64-channel MCG system (axial type, first-order gradiometer) developed by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS). MCG were recorded for 30 s in a magnetically shielded room. As the sensor location is getting away from the chest surface; the each mean amplitude of R- and T-wave peak decreases to 70% (at 40-mm distance), 51% and 50% (at 60mm), and 38% and 35% (at 80mm) of the reference amplitude measured at 20-mm distance (y = -0.000002*x3 + 0.0003*x2 - 0.0308*x + 1.4961, R2 = 1.00; where y = averageamplitude remained after reduction), x distance between the chest surface and sensor location). Interindividual difference was less than 5%. The regression equations may be used as a good reference to calculate how much strength will be decreased by the distance. In MCG parameters, most parameters decreased when the distance increased. As an example, the current moment at T-wave peak reduced to 52% (at 40-mm distance), 33% (at 60 mm), and 19% (at 80 mm). Results showed how MCG signal and parameter values decreased rapidly when the sensor assembly was located far from the signal source. The study results may be used as a useful reference to design MCG system and analysis program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A double relaxation oscillation SQUID with a reference junction (RJ-DROS) already has a fixed reference current, so that it holds a fixed flux-to-voltage characteristics when fabricated. When an additional current flows through the reference junction but not through the signal junction in the RJ-DROS, we have obtained the variation of its characteristics. The additional reference current has an effect on reducing the fixed reference current, which results in changing averaged relaxation voltage and transfer coefficient. In particular, while the critical current of the signal SQUID exceeds the reference current, the averaged relaxation voltage at the reference junction is enlarged by the added bias current combined with an additional current and an initial bias current. Therefore the additional reference current can provide the RJ-DROS with variable modulation depth and width within the operating range. Although the characteristics of RJ-DROSs are fixed differently each to each when they are fabricated, the additional current can adjust their characteristics to the same one, which is useful for controlling DROSs in a multichannel DROS system. However, an input-bias current in the preamplifier detecting the outputs at the reference junction, acts as an additional current, and then makes the reference current shift from the optimum current or deviate from the operating range, the input-bias current needs to be regulated within the operating range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We constructed a multichannel superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer system for magnetoencephalogram measurements. The SQUID is based on the double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS), which consists of a hysteretic signal SQUID and a reference junction, and shunted by a relaxation circuit of a resistor and an inductor. With the high flux-to-voltage transfers, usually larger than 1 mV/Φ[sub 0], simple flux-locked loop circuits could be used for SQUID operation. The SQUID system consists of 37 integrated magnetometers, distributed on a hemispherical surface, and external feedback scheme was used to eliminate magnetic coupling with the adjacent channels. In addition to the 37 signal channels, 8 reference channels were installed to pickup background noise and to apply software gradiometer. The average noise level of the magnetometers is about 3 fT/ √Hz at 100 Hz, operated inside a magnetically shielded room. The magnetometer system was applied to measure auditory-evoked fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have fabricated a single-stage superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) current amplifier for detecting pulse outputs of a superconducting microcalorimeter. The current amplifier is made of a double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS) that provides a high flux-to-voltage transfer of about 1 mV/Φ[sub 0] and a large modulation depth of 80 µV. Due to the high flux-to-voltage transfer, the voltage output of the DROS is measured directly with a room-temperature dc preamplifier. The bandwidth of the current amplifier is measured to be 1.2 MHz. Typical noise of the DROS current amplifier is about 6 pA/ √Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]