A mobile quantum brain scanner is being developed in the UK, touted as a world-first device designed to measure the immediate and real-time effects of blasts on soldiers. The UK Ministry of Defence has allocated £3.1 million to support this effort, enabling researchers to assess brain function within minutes after a blast and monitor recovery at training facilities.
The scanner relies on magnetoencephalography (MEG), a technique that detects the tiny magnetic fields produced by active brain cells. Unlike traditional lab systems, this mobile unit can accompany personnel to firing ranges, field hospitals, and rehabilitation sites.
Lt Col James Mitchell, a consultant neurologist and lead investigator for the UK Military Blast Study within the Defence Medical Services, described the project as a transformative advance in understanding blast exposure. He explained that the mobile MEG will generate a time-stamped, precise picture of the brain’s response in the minutes and hours after a blast and will help track recovery over time. In the long run, the goal is to inform robust, scientifically grounded policies for safe practices around blast exposure.
The initiative is being developed by Cerca Magnetics, a spin-out from the University of Nottingham, with support from the Defence Medical Services and collaboration from researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham.
A central concern is that repeated shock waves from high-power weapons may cause subtle brain changes that accumulate over a career and increase the risk of serious neurological conditions. Because these effects often disappear within 24 to 48 hours, traditional laboratory scanners struggle to capture them, leaving safe exposure levels unclear.
Matthew Brookes, professor of physics at the University of Nottingham and chair of Cerca Magnetics, noted that this new MEG generation removes past limitations that confined scanners to laboratories, enabling mobile systems to reach those who stand to benefit most. He also suggested that mobile MEG could revolutionize other fields, such as clinical neurology when deployed outside hospitals or on athletic fields to assess players after concussions.
The technology has a decade-long developmental arc, supported by the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, and the system is expected to be operational by 31 March 2026.
