A new wearable brain scanner, worn like a helmet, is being fast-tracked for clinical use after cutting the cost of existing systems by 50% and allowing patients to move freely during scans. Current brain imaging tools like MRI show brain structure in detail, but many neurological disorders—such as epilepsy—involve abnormal brain function, not structure. The gold-standard method for measuring real-time brain activity, magnetoencephalography (MEG), has remained largely inaccessible because conventional scanners are prohibitively expensive, require patients to stay perfectly still, and cannot accommodate children. Cerca Magnetics has solved these problems with a lightweight, wearable MEG helmet that works across all ages and delivers higher scan quality at half the cost. This project seeks regulatory approval by demonstrating the system’s safety, building validation devices, testing it in humans, and proving it can accurately map seizure-causing brain tissue in epilepsy patients. If successful, the technology could transform diagnosis and surgical planning for epilepsy and other functional brain disorders, giving clinicians a practical, affordable tool that works for patients who cannot tolerate conventional scanners. It would also position the UK as a global leader in neuroimaging technology.
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Understanding the human brain, and the many disorders that affect it, is a major challenge for 21st century healthcare. Significant progress has been made by scanning technologies, like MRI, which show what the brain looks like in exquisite detail. However, in many disorders brain structure looks normal and conventional imaging is of limited use. Instead, the underlying problem is aberrant brain function (i.e. what brain cells _do_ goes wrong). Understanding these _functional_ deficits means measuring activity in the human brain's network of ~100 billion neurons. Neurons work by sending small electrical impulses to one another. These impulses create magnetic fields, which pass through the skull. If we can measure and interpret these fields, we gain a window on brain function. This process is called magnetoencephalography, or MEG: when we undertake a mental task, a MEG scan allows us to measure precisely which brain areas were involved and their relative timings. This is useful clinically; e.g. in epilepsy it allows us to map brain regions responsible for seizures. Unfortunately, MEG has not been widely taken up because: 1) the scanners are incredibly expensive; 2) performance of scanners is limited; 3) patients have to remain very still for long periods; 4) scanners are of little use in children. Cerca Magnetics have solved these problems with a completely new type of MEG system, worn like a helmet. Different sizes mean children, babies or adults can be accommodated, and a lightweight helmet allows patients to move during scanning. Scan quality is increased, and the system cost is decreased by 50%. These developments offer a unique opportunity to realise the potential of MEG as a powerful clinical tool. However, critically, the system needs regulatory approval for human use. Here, we seek to fast-track this process by amassing the body of information required. We will: 1. **Demonstrate the safety** of the system and complete all documentation to ensure compliance for human use. 2. **Build devices to ensure system accuracy** enabling system validation prior to use. 3. **Test the system in humans** to prove benefits over existing scanners 4. **Demonstrate clinical utility** in epilepsy by showing that we can accurately map aberrant brain tissue. Success will allow Cerca to attain regulatory approval allowing us to bring a new clinical tool to market. This will propel the UK to a global lead in imaging technology, and most importantly offer new hope to many suffering from extremely debilitating neurological conditions.
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