SQUID sensor with additional compensation module for operation in an AC applied field

A possible implementation of an in-vivo SQUID susceptometer able to estimate the liver iron concentration of humans uses a low frequency applied field together with a lock-in detection. The room-temperature magnetising coils and the detection coils are designed to minimize their mutual coupling. Nevertheless, deviation from ideal behaviour causes a residual signal in the detection coil, with an amplitude significantly larger than the patient's. In addition low frequency noise is added by any relative displacement of the magnetising and sensing coils. Thus, we designed a SQUID sensor using a compact compensating module to be used in a multichannel SQUID susceptometer. The sensor consists of two second order axial gradiometers, wounded one inside the other on the same support. The sensing channel is larger than the compensation channel which is only sensitive to the residual signal. Each gradiometer is coupled to a dc SQUID with parallel washer configuration. The output of the compensation channel is A/D converted and is processed by an adaptive algorithm running on a real time unit. The compensation signal is coupled to the sensing channel by an additional feedback loop. The performances of a prototype module will be presented.