The UK is developing what it describes as the world’s first fully mobile quantum brain scanner designed to measure the effects of blast exposure on military personnel directly at training and operational sites, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The project, backed by £3.1 million in government funding, centres on a mobile magnetoencephalography (MEG) system that will allow Defence Medical Services to assess changes in brain function within minutes of exposure to weapons-related blast. The technology is intended to be deployed to firing ranges, field hospitals and rehabilitation centres, rather than relying on fixed laboratory facilities.
According to the MOD, the scanner is based on a new generation of quantum technology and will be used to study how repeated exposure to shock waves from high-powered weapons may affect the brain over time. Researchers aim to build a clearer, time-stamped picture of how brain function changes immediately after blast exposure and how personnel recover in the hours and days that follow.
The system is being developed by Nottingham-based spin-out company Cerca Magnetics, working with scientists from the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham, and will be operated by Defence Medical Services under Cyber and Specialist Operations Command. The MOD says the work addresses a long-standing challenge in military medicine, as subtle neurological effects from blast exposure can be short-lived and difficult to detect with conventional scanners.
Minister for Veterans and People Louise Sandher-Jones said the technology could improve both protection and policy for service personnel. “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,” she said, adding that the funding reflected a commitment to improving protections for those who serve.
Lt Col James Mitchell, consultant neurologist and chief investigator of the UK Military Blast Study, described the system as a step change for research. “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,” he said, noting that the findings could inform future guidance on safe exposure limits.
Professor Matthew Brookes of the University of Nottingham said the mobile nature of the scanner removed long-standing constraints on MEG technology. “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,” he said.
The MOD says the system is expected to be operational by March 2026. While the initial focus is on military use, officials and researchers note that the same technology could also support wider research into concussion, dementia and epilepsy, according to the organisations involved.