Optimal methods to feedback control and estimate magnetic fields to enable a neural detection system to measure magnetic fields from the brain

1. An active shield magnetometry system, comprising:

at least one magnetic field actuator configured for generating an actuated magnetic field that at least partially cancels an outside magnetic field, thereby yielding a total residual magnetic field;

a plurality of magnetometers respectively configured for measuring the total residual magnetic field and outputting a plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements;

at least one feedback control loop comprising at least one optimal linear controller configured for controlling the actuated magnetic field at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements respectively output by at least one of the plurality of magnetometers.

2. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one optimal linear controller comprises one of a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller, an H2 controller, and an Hinfinity controller.

3. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one optimal linear controller is configured for controlling the actuated magnetic field in a manner that suppresses the total residual magnetic field at at least one of the plurality of magnetometers.

4. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 3 , wherein each of the at least one optimal linear controller is configured for controlling the actuated magnetic field in a manner that minimizes a performance metric that includes a magnitude of the suppressed total residual magnetic field at the at least one magnetometer and a magnitude of the control effort of the at least one optimal linear controller.

5. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 4 , wherein the total performance metric further includes a magnitude of a time-integral of the suppressed total residual magnetic field at the at least one magnetometer.

6. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of magnetometers comprises a plurality of coarse magnetometers respectively configured for coarsely measuring the total residual magnetic field and outputting a plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements, and a plurality of fine magnetometers respectively configured for finely measuring the total residual magnetic field and outputting a plurality of fine total residual magnetic field measurements;

wherein the at least one feedback control loop comprises a coarse feedback control loop, such that the at least one optimal linear controller is configured for coarsely controlling the actuated magnetic field at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements respectively output by at least one of the plurality of coarse magnetometers; and

wherein the at least one feedback control loop further comprises a fine feedback control loop, such that the optimal linear controller is configured for finely controlling the actuated magnetic field at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of fine total residual magnetic field measurements respectively output by at least one of the plurality of fine magnetometers.

7. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 6 ,

wherein the plurality of coarse feedback control loops are configured for coarsely controlling the actuated magnetic field respectively in a manner that suppresses the total residual magnetic field at the at least one fine magnetometer to a baseline level, such that the at least one fine magnetometer comes in-range; and

wherein the plurality of fine feedback control loops are configured finely controlling the actuated magnetic field in a manner that further suppresses the total residual magnetic field at the at least one fine magnetometer to a lower level.

8. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 6 , wherein the coarse feedback control loop is configured for estimating the total residual magnetic field at at least one of the plurality of fine magnetometers based on the plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements, and wherein the optimal linear controller of the coarse feedback control loop is configured for coarsely controlling the actuated magnetic field at least partially based on the estimated total residual magnetic field at the at least one fine magnetometer.

9. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of coarse magnetometers is a flux gate magnetometer, and each of the plurality of fine magnetometers is an optically pumped magnetometer (OPM).

10. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one magnetic field actuator is configured for generating an actuated magnetic field at a plurality of distinct frequencies that at least partially cancels an outside magnetic field at the plurality of distinct frequencies, thereby yielding the total residual magnetic field; and

wherein the at least one feedback control loop comprises a plurality of feedback control loops, and wherein the at least one optimal linear controller comprises a plurality of optimal linear controllers configured for controlling the actuated magnetic field respectively at the plurality of distinct frequencies at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements respectively output by the at least one magnetometer.

11. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of distinct frequencies comprises a frequency in the range of 0 Hz-5 Hz.

12. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of distinct frequencies comprises a plurality of harmonic frequencies.

13. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 12 , wherein the harmonic frequencies are 60 Hz harmonic frequencies.

14. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor containing the at least one feedback control loop.

15. The active shield magnetometry system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a signal acquisition unit configured for being worn on a head of a user, the signal acquisition unit comprising a support structure, the at least one magnetic field actuator affixed to the support structure, the plurality of magnetometers affixed to the support structure, the signal acquisition unit configured for deriving at least one magnetoencephalography (MEG) signal respectively from at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements; and

a signal processing unit configured for determining an existence of neural activity in the brain of the user based on the at least one MEG signal.

16. An active shield magnetometry method, comprising:

generating an actuated magnetic field that at least partially cancels an outside magnetic field, thereby yielding a total residual magnetic field at a plurality of measurement locations;

measuring the total residual magnetic field at the plurality of measurement locations and outputting a plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements;

controlling the actuated magnetic field with at least one optimal linear controller at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements.

17. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 16 , wherein each of the at least one optimal linear controller comprises one of a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller, an H2 controller, and an Hinfinity controller.

18. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 16 , wherein the actuated magnetic field is controlled by the at least one optimal linear controller in a manner that suppresses the total residual magnetic field at at least one of the plurality of measurement locations to a baseline level, such that the accuracy of at least of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements at the at least one measurement location increases.

19. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 18 , wherein the actuated magnetic field is controlled with the at least one optimal linear controller in a manner that minimizes a performance metric that includes a magnitude of the suppressed total residual magnetic field at the at least one measurement location and a magnitude of the control effort of the at least one optimal linear controller.

20. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 19 , wherein the total performance metric further includes a magnitude of the time-integral of the suppressed total residual magnetic field at the at least one measurement location.

21. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 16 ,

wherein measuring the total residual magnetic field and outputting a plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements comprises:

coarsely measuring the total residual magnetic field at a plurality of coarse measurement locations and outputting a plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements;

finely measuring the total residual magnetic field at a plurality of fine measurement locations and outputting a plurality of fine total residual magnetic field measurements; and

wherein controlling the actuated magnetic field with the at least one optimal linear controller at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements comprises:

coarsely controlling the actuated magnetic field with the at least one optimal linear controller at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements; and

finely controlling the actuated magnetic field with the at least one optimal linear controller at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of fine total residual magnetic field measurements.

22. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 21 ,

wherein the actuated magnetic field is coarsely controlled in a manner that suppresses the total residual magnetic field at at least one fine measurement location to a baseline level; and

wherein the actuated magnetic field is finely controlled in a manner that further suppresses the total residual magnetic field at the at least one fine measurement location to a lower level.

23. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 21 , further comprising estimating the total residual magnetic field at at least one the plurality of fine measurement locations based on the plurality of coarse total residual magnetic field measurements, wherein the actuated magnetic field is coarsely controlled with the at least one optimal linear controller at least partially based on the estimated total residual magnetic field at the at least one fine measurement location.

24. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 16 ,

wherein the actuated magnetic field is generated at a plurality of distinct frequencies that at least partially cancels an outside magnetic field at the plurality of distinct frequencies, thereby yielding the total residual magnetic field;

wherein the at least one optimal linear controller comprises a plurality of optimal linear controllers; and

wherein the actuated magnetic field is controlled with the plurality of optimal linear controllers respectively at the plurality of distinct frequencies at least partially based on at least one of the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements.

25. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 24 , wherein one of the plurality of distinct frequencies comprises a frequency in the range of 0 Hz-5 Hz.

26. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of distinct frequencies comprises a plurality of harmonic frequencies.

27. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 26 , wherein the harmonic frequencies are 60 Hz harmonic frequencies.

28. The active shield magnetometry method of claim 16 , further comprising:

deriving a plurality of magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals respectively from the plurality of total residual magnetic field measurements; and

determining an existence of neural activity in the brain of a user based on the plurality of MEG signals.