UK developing ‘world’s first’ mobile quantum brain scanner to measure blast effects on troops

Scientists are building a mobile quantum brain scanner, claimed to be the first of its kind, to measure blast effects on military personnel in real time.

The UK Ministry of Defence has put in £3.1m for the device, allowing researchers to assess brain function within minutes of a blast and to monitor recovery at training sites.

The scanner uses a technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG), which reads brain activity by detecting tiny magnetic fields when neurons fire.

Unlike lab-bound systems, the mobile unit can go to firing ranges, field hospitals and rehabilitation centres.

Lt Col James Mitchell, consultant neurologist and chief investigator of the UK Military Blast Study at 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.”

The system is being built by University of Nottingham spin-out Cerca Magnetics and will be used by Defence Medical Services with scientists from the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham.

The project tackles a key issue: repeated shock waves from high-power weapons may cause subtle brain changes that, over a career, raise the risk of serious neurological conditions.

Safe exposure levels remain unclear because effects often disappear within 24 to 48 hours, making them impossible to capture with conventional laboratory-based scanners.

Matthew Brookes is professor of physics at the University of Nottingham and chairman of Cerca Magnetics.

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 technology has been in development for a decade, backed by the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme.

The system is expected to be operational by 31 March 2026.