From simulation to clinic: Assessing the required channel count for effective clinical use of OPM-MEG systems

IF 4.7 2区医学 Q1 NEUROIMAGING

NeuroImage Pub Date : 2025-05-09 DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121262

Bing Yan , Yuming Peng , Yixiang Zhang, Yun Zhang, Haonan Zhang, Yifu Cao, Chang Sun, Ming Ding

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The channel count in an Optically Pumped Magnetometer Magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) system plays a pivotal role in determining its overall performance. While existing research consistently highlights that a greater number of channels enhances system capabilities, practical constraints such as sensor placement on the head, inter-channel interference, and cost-efficiency impose limitations on channel scalability. Additionally, the optimal channel count required for clinical applications of OPM-MEG remains unclear. In this study, we systematically investigate the impact of channel count on OPM-MEG performance by integrating simulations, phantom experiments, and human MEG experiments. Four configurations with varying channel counts (16, 32, 64, and 128) are evaluated. Specifically, systems with fewer channels (e.g., 16 channels) encounter significant challenges in meeting the demands of clinical MEG applications. In contrast, a 64-channel OPM-MEG system demonstrates performance metrics—such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and localization accuracy—that are comparable to those of a 306-channel Superconducting Quantum Interference Device MEG (SQUID-MEG) system. Notably, a 128-channel OPM-MEG system surpasses the 306-channel SQUID-MEG system, achieving superior results. This work provides a detailed exploration of the relationship between channel count and OPM-MEG system performance, analyzing how many channels of the OPM-MEG system are suitable for clinical applications. By combining simulation-based evaluations with empirical measurements, we found that it is crucial to carefully select the appropriate number of channels based on the specific usage requirements in clinical applications.

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从模拟到临床：评估OPM-MEG系统有效临床使用所需的通道数。

光泵磁强计脑磁图（OPM-MEG）系统的通道数是决定系统整体性能的关键因素。虽然现有的研究一直强调，更多的通道可以增强系统的能力，但实际的限制，如传感器在头部的放置、通道间干扰和成本效率，都限制了通道的可扩展性。此外，OPM-MEG临床应用所需的最佳通道数仍不清楚。在这项研究中，我们系统地研究了通道数对OPM-MEG性能的影响，包括模拟实验、模拟实验和人体MEG实验。评估了具有不同通道计数（16、32、64和128）的四种配置。具体来说，通道较少（例如16个通道）的系统在满足临床MEG应用需求方面面临重大挑战。相比之下，64通道OPM-MEG系统的性能指标——如信噪比（SNR）和定位精度——与306通道超导量子干涉器件MEG （SQUID-MEG）系统相当。值得注意的是，128通道OPM-MEG系统超过了306通道SQUID-MEG系统，取得了更好的效果。本研究详细探讨了通道数与OPM-MEG系统性能之间的关系，分析了OPM-MEG系统中有多少通道适合临床应用。通过将基于模拟的评估与经验测量相结合，我们发现在临床应用中，根据具体的使用要求仔细选择合适的通道数量至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

NeuroImage 医学-核医学

CiteScore

11.30

自引率

10.50%

发文量

809

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： NeuroImage, a Journal of Brain Function provides a vehicle for communicating important advances in acquiring, analyzing, and modelling neuroimaging data and in applying these techniques to the study of structure-function and brain-behavior relationships. Though the emphasis is on the macroscopic level of human brain organization, meso-and microscopic neuroimaging across all species will be considered if informative for understanding the aforementioned relationships.