SFB 1261:  Magnetoelectric Sensors: From Composite Materials to Biomagnetic Diagnostics

• Subject Area: Materials Science and Engineering ; Biology ; Computer Science, Systems and Electrical Engineering ; Medicine ; Physics
• Term: since 2016
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 286471992

The general objective of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1261 is the investigation of different magnetoelectric (ME) sensor (as well as actuator/transmitter) approaches. This is done with special focus on high sensitivity at biomagnetic frequencies. Furthermore, the ME sensor systems are evaluated and utilized in medically relevant problems for which there are currently no sufficiently good non-magnetic alternatives. In the first two funding periods, uncooled and unshielded ME sensors (and transmitters) have demonstrated their potential for detecting weak magnetic signals, as required for biomedical applications. We were able to establish different ME-based sensing principles that operate from about 100 µT (maximum amplitude) or even more down to 1 pT/Hz0.5 (amplitude spectral density of the noise) at higher frequencies, e.g., 7 kHz, and 7.5 pT/Hz0.5 at low frequencies (10 Hz). This allows to perform cardiological analyses with signal averaging times of about one minute without cooling. The ME sensors are based on ME composites, i.e. composites consisting of at least one magnetostrictive and one piezoelectric constituent, which were fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Besides “direct” biomagnetic signals (e.g. originating from the human heart), we have identified several more medical applications in which magnetic sources (e.g., a coil, a vibrating cantilever with magnetic material on the moving parts, or magnetic nanoparticles) are coupled to human activity or biological processes within the human body. These applications allow several additional degrees of freedom in the design of the corresponding magnetic detection and sensing systems. For example, resonant magnetic sensors and actuators (transmitters) with frequencies above the range of potential acoustic distortion (e.g., above 5 kHz) enable the construction of magnetic localization systems that can operate with high precision outside and inside the human body. The research program to pursue these goals requires intensive interdisciplinary collaboration between materials scientists, electrical engineers, and physicians (cardiology, neurology, robot-assisted surgery, and endoscopy). The work program of the third funding period ensures on the one hand, that the full potential of ME sensors for the selected fields of biomedical applications is explored and, on the other hand, that the ME sensors can be used effectively in the application projects. This will also enable completely new medical diagnostics.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• International Connection: France

Current projects

• A01 - Magnetostrictive multilayers for magnetoelectric sensors (Project Heads McCord, Jeffrey ;  Meyners, Dirk )
• A02 - Mechanically Soft Micro and Macrocomposite for Wearable Devices (Project Heads Adelung, Rainer ;  Ameri, Ph.D., Tayebeh ;  Faupel, Franz )
• A04 - ΔE-effect Sensors (Project Heads Faupel, Franz ;  Rieger, Robert ;  Spetzler, Benjamin )
• A06 - Microstructure and structual change of magnetoelectric and sensors (Project Heads Kienle, Lorenz ;  Murphy, Bridget )
• A07 - Electrically modulated magnetoelectric sensors (Project Head Quandt, Eckhard )
• A08 - Modeling of magnetoelectric sensors (Project Head Gerken, Martina )
• A09 - Surface acoustic wave magnetic field sensors (Project Heads Lofink, Fabian ;  Quandt, Eckhard )
• A10 - Magnetic noise of magnetoelectric sensors (Project Heads McCord, Jeffrey ;  Wulfinghoff, Stephan )
• B01 - Sensor noise performance and analogue system design (Project Heads Bahr, Andreas ;  Höft, Michael ;  Knöchel, Reinhard ;  Rieger, Robert )
• B02 - Digital signal processing (Project Heads Bergholz, Robert ;  Ellrichmann, Mark ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• B09 - Magnetoelectric sensors for movement detection and analysis (Project Heads Maetzler, Walter ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• B10 - Magnetoelectric sensor systems for cardiologic applications (Project Heads Frey, Norbert ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• B12 - Bioinspired nanocomposites for early detection of complications in gastrointestinal surgery (Project Heads Altintas, Zeynep ;  Gerken, Martina ;  Gundlach, Jan-Paul )
• B13 - Magnetoelectric 3D-mapping in gastrointestinal diagnostics (Project Heads Ellrichmann, Mark ;  Lofink, Fabian )
• MGK - Integrated Research Training Group (Project Heads Gerken, Martina ;  Laufs, Ph.D., Helmut ;  Maetzler, Walter ;  McCord, Jeffrey )
• Z01 - MEMS magnetoelectric sensor fabrication (Project Heads Gojdka, Björn ;  Lofink, Fabian ;  Meyners, Dirk ;  Niekiel, Florian )
• Z02 - Magnetoelectric sensor characterization (Project Heads Höft, Michael ;  Rieger, Robert ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• Z03 - Central tasks (Project Heads Quandt, Eckhard ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• Ö - Scientific Outreach Project (Project Heads Enzingmüller, Carolin ;  Kampschulte, Lorenz ;  Parchmann, Ilka )

Completed projects

• A03 - Resonant magnetoelectric sensors (Project Heads Quandt, Eckhard ;  Wagner, Bernhard )
• A05 - Piezotronic magnetoelectric sensors (Project Head Adelung, Rainer )
• B03 - Inverse solutions for localization of biomagnetic activity in heart and brain (Project Heads Siniatchkin, Michael ;  Stephani, Ulrich )
• B05 - Individualized deep brain stimulation (Project Heads Deuschl, Günther ;  Höft, Michael )
• B06 - Multimodal mapping of nerve pathology with magnetoelectric sensors (Project Heads Laufs, Ph.D., Helmut ;  Schmidt, Gerhard )
• B07 - 3D-imaging of magnetically labeled cells (Project Heads Faupel, Franz ;  Selhuber-Unkel, Christine )
• T01 - Individualized Deep Brain Simulation (Project Heads Deuschl, Günther ;  Helmers, Ann-Kristin ;  Höft, Michael )

• Applicant Institution: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
• Participating Institution: Fraunhofer-Institut für Siliziumtechnologie (ISIT); IPN - Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik; an der Universität Kiel
• Participating University: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; Technische Universität Ilmenau
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Quandt, until 9/2021; Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Schmidt, since 9/2021