The University of Nottingham unveils the world’s first mobile quantum brain scanner, designed to monitor the impact of blast exposure on the brain in real time
Scientists at the University of Nottingham have developed the world’s first fully mobile quantum brain scanner. This groundbreaking device uses advanced magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to measure, in real time, the effects of blast exposure on the brain. Designed for deployment in military and clinical settings, the portable scanner aims to improve understanding of brain injuries, advance concussion treatment, and enhance safety standards for service personnel.
£3m investment into military quantum brain scanner
The Ministry of Defence has invested over £3 million in developing a transformational quantum brain scanner that can be deployed directly to military firing ranges, field hospitals, and rehabilitation centres. This device will bring evidence-based decision-making to protect service personnel from any potential harmful effects.
The quantum brain scanner will be built by University of Nottingham spin-out company Cerca Magnetics and used by the Defence Medical Services, in collaboration with scientists from the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham.
Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, said: “The safety of our personnel is a top priority. Thanks to technologies like this, even subtle physical changes are now becoming detectable, and we will get crucial insights that simply weren’t possible before, improving decision-making and vital protections for our forces.
“This funding demonstrates our commitment to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve, but also shows how defence innovation benefits wider society, including those impacted by dementia, epilepsy and concussion.”
Insights into repeated exposure to high-power weapons
The quantum brain scanner addresses a critical defence challenge, repeated exposure to shockwaves from high-power weapons. This exposure could cause subtle changes in brain function, which over a career may increase the likelihood of severe brain health conditions.
Safe exposure levels are unknown because effects are subtle and fleeting, often disappearing within 24-48 hours, making it impossible to capture with conventional laboratory scanners.
The device will enable rapid scans, providing an objective assessment of changes in brain function and informing decisions on safe return to duty. The researchers will investigate multiple weapon types and tracking recovery patterns to identify which personnel face the greatest risk and establish evidence-based exposure limits.
Professor Matthew Brookes, professor of physics at the University of Nottingham and chairman of Cerca Magnetics, has pioneered OPM-MEG technology for a decade. He said: “This new generation of MEG lifts limitations that have historically confined scanners to universities, paving the way for mobile systems that can be taken directly to those who will benefit most. The introduction of mobile systems will likely revolutionise other fields too, whether parked outside hospitals to assess neurological conditions or at sports grounds to scan players following concussion.”
The quantum brain scanner can have positive implications beyond the military, supporting research into sports concussion, dementia, and epilepsy.
Lt Col James Mitchell, Consultant Neurologist and Chief Investigator of the UK Military Blast Study at the UK Defence Medical Services, said: “This new system, a world first, will be transformative for research into the effects of blast exposure on our personnel.
“For the first time, we will be able to build a time-stamped, accurate picture of exactly what happens to the brain in the minutes and hours after blast exposure and track recovery over time. Ultimately, we expect this system to help provide robust, scientifically informed policy on safe working practices for blast exposure.”
