Abstract: A vector magnetocardiography method and a vector magnetocardiographic system carrying out the method. It is an object to provide an improved magnetocardiographic method, in particular in view of diagnosing ischemic heart disease. The method involves the calculation of the direction of an equivalent single current source ESCS or equivalent single magnetic source ESMS in relation to a reference direction which is independent of patient or heart position in order to compute a vector magnetocardiogram.

Abstract: A biomagnetic field measuring apparatus enabling reliable biomagnetic field measurements in clinical practice, having a plurality of magnetic field sensors being arranged in an array in a sensor plane, including a plurality of first magnetic field sensors being designed and configured to measure a first component of the magnetic field, a plurality of second magnetic field sensors being designed and configured to measure a second component of the magnetic field, and a plurality of third magnetic field sensors being designed and configured to measure a third component of the magnetic field, the first, second and third components of the magnetic field being orthogonal to each other. Viewed perpendicular to the sensor plane, the first magnetic field sensors and the second magnetic field sensors are arranged essentially centrally and the third magnetic field sensors are arranged essentially around the first and second magnetic field sensors.