Zugriffsnummer 56595
Dokumenttyp Zeitschriftenartikel Open Access Gold
Peer Review mit Peer Review
Sprache Englisch
Titel Fetal magnetocardiography using optically pumped magnetometers: A literature review
Autor(in); Institution
Hren, R.; Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, HUNGARY; Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Marhl, U.; Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA; Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, SLOVENIA
Dóczi, T.; Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, HUNGARY
Országh, E.; Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, HUNGARY
Jazbinšek, V.; Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Sander-Thömmes, Tilmann; 8.2, Biosignale, PTB-Berlin
Quelle/Jahr Biosensors: 16 (2026), 9, 1 - 23
Artikelnummer 487
Availability [online only]
ISSN 2079-6374 (online)
DOI
URL
Verlag Basel: MDPI AG
Freie Schlagworte fetal magnetocardiography ; optically pumped magnetometers ; quantum sensors ; fetal arrhythmia ; fetal electrocardiology ; prenatal diagnosis ; cardiac electrophysiology ; SQUID ; biomagnetism ; magnetic sensing
Zusammenfassung Fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) provides direct non-invasive assessment of fetal cardiac electrophysiology, enabling detailed evaluation of cardiac rhythm, conduction, and repolarization. However, the clinical adoption of conventional fMCG has been limited by its reliance on superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) systems, which require cryogenic cooling and specialized infrastructure. Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have emerged as a promising cryogen-free alternative with the potential to broaden access to fetal electrophysiological assessment. This review summarizes the technological evolution and early clinical evaluation of OPM-based fMCG through an analysis of original in vivo human studies published up to June 2026. Twelve eligible studies were identified and synthesized narratively. Advances in sensor design, magnetic shielding, acquisition strategies, and signal-processing algorithms have enabled SQUID-comparable signal quality and cardiac interval measurements while substantially reducing cryogenic and infrastructure requirements. OPM-fMCG has demonstrated the potential to assess fetal cardiac time intervals, heart rate variability, fetal movement, and clinically important arrhythmias, including congenital long QT syndrome, atrioventricular block, and supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. However, the available evidence remains dominated by small, single-centre studies, with relatively few fetuses affected by clinically significant arrhythmias. Prospective multicenter clinical validation, protocol standardization, independent replication, and regulatory evaluation are therefore required before OPM-fMCG can be integrated into routine diagnostic pathways for pregnancies requiring advanced fetal electrophysiological assessment.
Kostenfreier Zugang Open Access Gold
Rechteinformation CC BY 4.0 ; Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Themenbereich der Metrologie Metrologie in der Medizin
Förderinformationen (1) Förderername: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
Förderungsnummer: Grant Nr. P2-0348

Zitierung

Hren, R., Marhl, U., Dóczi, T., Országh, E., Jazbinšek, V., & Sander-Thömmes, T. (2026). Fetal magnetocardiography using optically pumped magnetometers: A literature review. Biosensors, 16(9), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16090487

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