A mobile platform for magnetoencephalography

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides a powerful means to characterise human brain electrophysiology. However, the size and infrastructure requirements of conventional instrumentation mean only specialist research centres can support deployment. Here we develop the first ‘mobile-MEG’ device – a vehicle-mounted scanner that can be taken anywhere and used to image brain function. To achieve this, we combined wearable optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) technology with lightweight magnetic shielding and low-power electronics to enable high-fidelity MEG recordings in a battery-powered mobile laboratory. We deployed the system at three contrasting sites and obtained reproducible measurements (correlation = 0.79). We also demonstrated the ability to conduct naturalistic experiments (i.e. with free head movement) and showed comparable data between mobile and stationary installations. Overall, this expands the scope of MEG beyond specialist centres, providing a platform for easier clinical deployment and novel neuroscientific studies. It will broaden MEG access and significantly expand applications in basic and clinical science.