• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.421-428
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• 1997

Magnetic field sensors made from superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) are the most sensitive low-frequency sensors available, enabling measurements of extremely weak magnetic fields from the brain. Neuromagnetic measurements allow superior spatial resolution, compared with the present electric measurements, and superior temporal resolution, compared with the fMRl and PET, providing useful informations for the functional diagnoses of the brain. We developed a 4-channel SQUID system for neuromagnetic applications. The main features of the system are its simple readout electronics and compact pickup coil structure. A magnetically shielded room has been constructed for the reduction of environmental magnetic noises. The developed SQUID system has noise level lower than the magnetic noise from the brain. Magnetic field signals of the spontaneous r-rhythm activity and auditory evoked magnetic fields have been measured.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2020

Heart consists of myocardium cells and the electrophysiological activity of the cells generate magnetic fields. By measuring this magnetic field, magnetocardiogram (MCG), functional diagnosis of the heart diseases is possible. Since the strength of the MCG signals is weak, typically in the range of 1-10 pT, we need sensitive magnetic sensors. Conventionally, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID)s were used for the detection of MCG signals due to its superior sensitivity to other magnetic sensors. However, drawback of the SQUID is the need for regular refill of a cryogenic liquid, typically liquid helium for cooling low-temperature SQUIDs. Efforts to eliminate the need for the refill in the SQUID system have been done by using cryocooler-based conduction cooling or use of non-cryogenic sensors, or room-temperature sensors. Each sensor has advantage and disadvantage, in terms of magnetic field sensitivity and complexity of the system, and we review the recent trend of MCG technology.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.10
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• pp.151-154
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• 2000

We have developed a YBCO SQUID gradiometer system for the measurement of a very weak magnetic field in an unshielded environment. The system consists of a SQUID gradiometer sensor, low noise pre-amp, and FLL(fluxlocked loop) control electronics. The gradiometer sensors have been fabricated on STO bicrystal substrates, and exhibit a magnetic noise of 300 fT/${\surd}$ Hz/cm at 100 Hz. The overall magnetic field noise of the SQUID gradiometer system was about 10 pT/${\surd}$ Hz/cm at 10 Hz without any magnetic shield. The system demonstrated a high stability for a long time, and real-time measurement resolution ${\le}$ 100 pT/cm in the unshielded environments.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2003.07c
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• pp.2749-2752
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• 2003

Magnetocardiography is a very weak biomagnetic field generated from the heart. Since the magnitude of the biomagnetic field is in the order of a few pico Tesla, it is measured with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). SQUID is a transducer converting magnetic flux to voltage, however, its range of linear conversion is very restricted. In order to overcome the narrow dynamic range. a flux locked loop is used to feedback the output field with opposite polarity to the input field so that the total Held becomes zero. This prevents the operating point of the SQUID from moving too far away from the null point thereby escape from the linear region. In this paper, an emulator for the SQUID sensor and feedback coil is proposed. Magnetic courting between the original field and the generated field by the feedback coil is emulated by electronic circuits. By using the emulator, FLL circuits are analyzed and optimized without SQUID sensors. The emulator may be used as a test signal for multi-channel gain calibration and system maintenance.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.82-85
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• 1998

A portable HTS RF SQUID-based system, weighing less than 20 kg has been built for susceptometry applications in weak magnetic fields, It includes a YBCO sensor for measuring the axial magnetic field component with a resolution of about $7{\times}10^{-13} T/Hz^{1/2}.$ This is determined by the intrinsic magnetic noise in the quasi-white noise region. There is a relaxation for a sudden increase in field due to magnetic flux creep in HTS. In this instance the time did not exceed 3~5 minutes.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2011

SQUID sensor-based ultra low-field magnetic resonance apparatus with ${\mu}T$-level measurement field requires a strong prepolarization magnetic field ($B_p$) to magnetize its sample and obtain magnetic resonance signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This $B_p$ needs to be ramped down very quickly so that it does not interfere with signal acquisition which must take place before the sample magnetization relaxes off. A MOSFET switch-based $B_p$ coil driver has current ramp-down time ($t_{rd}$) that increases with $B_p$ current, which makes it unsuitable for driving high-field $B_p$ coil made of superconducting material. An energy cycling-type current driver has been developed for such a coil. This driver contains a storage capacitor inside a switch in IGBT-diode bridge configuration, which can manipulate how the capacitor is connected between the $B_p$ coil and its current source. The implemented circuit with 1.2 kV-tolerant devices was capable of driving 32 A current into a thick copper-wire solenoid $B_p$ coil with a 182 mm inner diameter, 0.23 H inductance, and 5.4 mT/A magnetic field-to-current ratio. The measured trd was 7.6 ms with a 160 ${\mu}F$ storage capacitor. trd was dependent only on the inductance of the coil and the capacitance of the driver capacitor. This driver is scalable to significantly higher current of superconducting $B_p$ coils without the $t_{rd}$ becoming unacceptably long with higher $B_p$ current.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

As very sensitive magnetic field sensors, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are used to measure magnetic field signals from the human heart. By analyzing these cardiomagnetic signals, functional diagnoses of heart can be done. In order to measure weak biomagnetic signals, we need a multichannel SQUID array with sensor coverage large enough to cover the whole heart to enable the measurement in a single position setting. In this paper, we review the recent development of SQUID systems for measuring cardiomagnetic fields, with special emphasis on SQUID types.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.110-113
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• 2004

We have designed and fabricated the YBCO single layer directly-coupled SQUID magnetometers for the purpose of magnetocardiography in a magnetically disturbed environment. The SQUID magnetometers were designed three different types of pickup coil such as solid type, PL type I and PL type II for further stable fluxed-locked-loop operation without magnetic shielding. Magnetometer was fabricated with a single layer YBCO thin film deposited on STO(100) bicrystal substrate with misorientation angle of $30^{\circ}$. We have achieved a magnetic field noise BN of 30 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$ at 100 Hz, and less than 70 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$ at 1 Hz. The PL type II SQUIDs have exhibited the most stable fluxed-locked-loop operation in a magnetically unshielded environment.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2009

A current limiter was manufactured using a Josephson junction array to cut off an excessive current flowing into the SQUID sensor. The Fabricateed Josephson junction array was connected in series with a flux transformer that consists of a pick-up coil and an input coil, and the flux transformer was inductively coupled with a Double Relaxation Oscillation SQUID(DROS). The flux-voltage modulation curve was induced by applying an AC magnetic field whose magnitude was far smaller than that of the DC magnetic field. A change in the flux-voltage modulation curve of the SQUID was observed while the DC magnetic field was increased, to qualitatively examine the current limiting characteristic of the Josephson junction array. As a result, it was found that the SQUID flux-voltage modulation curve disappeared at the critical current of the Josephson junction array, which indicates that the Josephson junction array properly works as a current limiter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
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• 2018.07a
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• pp.179-180
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• 2018

자계 검출 센서는 여러 가지 종류가 있으나 벽면에 흐르는 미소 자계 및 차폐 전선에서 검출이 가능한 구조는 초전도 양자 간섭 소자(SQUID)가 주로 사용되지만 가격 및 물성 재료 특성으로 인하여 특수 용도로 사용되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 전선으로부터 발생되는 저주파 자장을 검출할 수 있고 휴대성 및 가격이 저렴한 구조인 코일형 자계측정기를 개발하기 위해 자기 코어 및 코일 Turn수 변화에 따른 자계 검출 감도를 조사하여 최적의 구조를 설정하였다.