Development of high sensitive magnetometer and Ultra Low Field MRI System for plastic contaminant detectrion

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02153
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21030:Measurement engineering-related
• Research Institution: Toyohashi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Saburo 豊橋技術科学大学, エレクトロニクス先端融合研究所, 教授 (10271602)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 有吉 誠一郎 豊橋技術科学大学, エレクトロニクス先端融合研究所, 准教授 (20391849)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: SQUID / ジョセフソン接合 / 異物検査 / 超低磁場MRI / YBCO

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, there have been accidents in which infants' mouths have been injured by small pieces of plastic in food, and technology for detecting resin foreign bodies in food is desired. Metallic foreign matter can be detected by magnetic sensors, but resin foreign matter is not magnetic and has low density, making it difficult to detect with metal detectors or X-ray inspection machines.
The purpose of this project is to develop a technology and system to detect non-magnetic foreign bodies such as plastic pieces as two-dimensional images using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology. （To achieve this, we developed a high-sensitivity superconducting SQUID magnetic sensor and image quality enhancement technology, and constructed an examination system capable of detecting non-magnetic foreign bodies at an ultra-low magnetic field of about 1/10,000 of the high-field MR systems for medical use that are currently available in hospitals.

Free Research Field

超伝導エレクトロニクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

食品工場では検査装置としては金属検出機やX線検査装置が一般的でMRIなど高度な装置は導入されていない。超高感度磁気センサで水のプロトン振動を高感度で検出する超低磁場MRI食品異物検査法が実現して食品加工工場に導入されれば、我が国の食品の安全性が向上し、世界的に安全な食品ということでより一層、日本製食品のブランド価値を高めることができる。この技術は食品分野以外にも例えば基礎科学分野も含め、次のような応用が考えられる。
1.腕など生体部位の局所MRI検査　2.ペットなど小動物の簡易MRI検査　3.薬内に含まれる微小樹脂異物検査　4.イベント会場等での手荷物簡易検査　5.化学物質のJカップリング評価