白小姐论坛

白小姐论坛Q scientists, Professor Ferruccio Renzoni and Dr Luca Marmugi have recently published a paper in Nature Scientific Reports proposing a novel diagnostic and guidance tool for atrial fibrillation. The device is based on quantum sensors (atomic magnetometers) operated in magnetic induction tomography (MIT) modality. The work was realised in the context of an 白小姐论坛Q Fellowship Doctoral Award that Dr Marmugi obtained last year.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) affects a significant fraction of the ageing population, causing a high level of morbidity and mortality. Despite its significance, the causes of AF are still not uniquely identified. This, combined with the lack of precise diagnostic and guiding tools, makes the clinical treatment of AF sub-optimal.

Professor Renzoni and Dr Marmugi identified that MIT was the ideal solution to the lack of diagnostic tools for cardiac fibrillation and, in particular, for AF.

鈥�In fact, magnetocardiography and electrocardiography do not provide any direct information about the causes of the irregular heart beat and, more importantly, the structures producing聽it鈥� they wrote.

They investigated the feasibility of a working device suitable both for research and clinical practice, and demonstrated that the envisioned instrument satisfies the technical and medical requirements to have a relevant impact on the clinical practice.

鈥�Optical atomical magnetomenters (OAMs) are ideal in their hypothetical imaging tool as they solve the sensitivity and bandwidth issues of standard MIT systems to provide better detection of the MIT聽signal in an unshielded environment and at room temperature.鈥�

It is believed that OAMs鈥� characteristics will also provide additional advantages in the daily clinical practice, since the direct mapping of the heart鈥檚 conductivity allows the healthcare practitioner the ability to simultaneously address the anatomy, physiology and the pathology of the heart. 聽This device is an example of direct application of quantum sensing to healthcare and it is of likely interest to a broad audience, involving physicists, engineers, biologists, and healthcare professionals and researchers.

The possibility of non-invasively mapping the heart鈥檚 conductivity will shade new light on the fundamental mechanisms of fibrillation and will provide a new tool to improve the clinical treatment of this condition.

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