This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a technology that uses quantum sensors to measure biomagnetic signals, such as heart activity. Researchers from the DIAQNOS (DIAmond-based Quantum Sensing for NeurOSurgery) flagship project, coordinated by Dr.
Arne Wickenbrock in Mainz, have demonstrated the potential of quantum technology for future medical applications. To this end, researchers in the group led by Dr. Dmitry Budker—a member of the PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz—used nitrogen vacancies (NV) in diamonds, as reported in an article in the journal Science Advances.
Muhib Omar, a doctoral student in Budker's research group and the coordinating author of the article, developed the new quantum sensor during his doctoral research. Thanks to its compact size and its ability to function at room temperature, this NV-based sensor opens up new avenues for improving the measurement of magnetic signals from the heart or brain. It could be used for the early detection of conditions such as myocarditis or epilepsy.
NV centers form when a vacancy in the diamond lattice is located directly next to a nitrogen atom that has been incorporated into the diamond in place of a carbon atom. By observing the energy levels of these centers, researchers can measure a wide range of physical phenomena, such as magnetic or electric fields, temperature and mechanical stress, with high precision. "These results are the product of over 10 years of development work," explained Wickenbrock.
"We work closely with neurosurgeons to ensure that our technologies do not remain confined to the laboratory but find clear practical applications. Our primary goal is to develop highly sensitive sensors that function outside the laboratory and can fulfill important societal needs." The researchers in the DIAQNOS project used three systems developed independently by project partners JGU, the Universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg, and the startup Q.ANT GmbH to measure the heart's magnetic field. In doing so, they demonstrated that quantum technologies in Germany are ready to take the important step toward medical applications and identified the improvements still needed to achieve this.
The fiber-based NV-diamond magnetometer developed by JGU was designed as a portable endoscope and operates without a magnetic bias field. This contrasts with the other two systems, which use such fields to filter out magnetic interference from the environment. There are currently two common methods for measuring heart activity: electrocardiography (ECG) and magnetocardiography (MCG).
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