Integrated circuit for NMR systems

A multi-channel NMR system comprising:

• a host system;
• and
• a plurality of integrated circuits, each respective integrated circuit including
• i) a memory circuit,
• ii) a data communication interface to the host system, wherein the data communication interface is configured to receive parameter data for at least one NMR pulse sequence from the host system and transfer the received parameter data to the memory circuit such that the memory circuit stores the parameter data for the at least one NMR pulse sequence, wherein the parameter data pertains to an excitation period, a delay period without excitation, and an acquisition period that are part of a corresponding NMR pulse sequence,
• iii) a pulse sequencer and NMR transmitter circuit that cooperate to generate radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with the parameter data stored in the memory circuit, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to supply the RF signals to an external antenna for emitting excitation signals from the external antenna during the excitation period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence, and
• iv) an NMR receiver circuit for receiving electrical signals generated by the external antenna during the acquisition period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence;
• wherein the memory circuit, data communication interface, pulse sequencer, NMR transmitter circuit, and NMR receiver circuit of each respective integrated circuit are all integrated as parts of a single integrated circuit chip;
• and
• wherein the pulse sequencer of each respective integrated circuit is configured to initiate NMR experiments involving the corresponding NMR pulse sequence according to the parameter data stored in the memory circuit of the respective integrated circuit in response to an Enable signal communicated to the respective integrated circuit.

An NMR apparatus comprising:

• a host system;
• at least one integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including
• i) a memory circuit,
• ii) a data communication interface to the host system, wherein the data communication interface is configured to receive parameter data for at least one NMR pulse sequence from the host system and transfer the received parameter data to the memory circuit such that the memory circuit stores the parameter data for the at least one NMR sequence, wherein the parameter data pertains to an excitation period, a delay period without excitation, and an acquisition period that are part of a corresponding NMR pulse sequence,
• iii) a pulse sequencer and NMR transmitter circuit that cooperate to generate radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with the parameter data stored in the memory circuit, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to supply the RF signals to an external antenna for emitting excitation signals from the external antenna during the excitation period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence, and
• iv) an NMR receiver circuit for receiving electrical signals generated by the external antenna during the acquisition period of the corresponding NMR pulsed;
• wherein the memory circuit, data communication interface, pulse sequencer, NMR transmitter circuit, and NMR receiver circuit are all integrated as parts of a single integrated circuit chip;
• and
• wherein the parameter data comprises data that specifies a pulse amplitude for the excitation signals emitted from the external antenna during the excitation period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence.

An integrated circuit for use with an external antenna and an external host system, the integrated circuit comprising:

• a memory circuit;
• a data communication interface to the external host system, wherein the data communication interface is configured to receive parameter data for at least one NMR pulse sequence from the host system and transfer the received parameter data to the memory circuit such that the memory circuit stores the parameter data for the at least one NMR pulse sequence, wherein the parameter data pertains to an excitation period, a delay period without excitation, and an acquisition period that are part of a corresponding NMR pulse sequence;
• a pulse sequencer and NMR transmitter circuit that cooperate to generate radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with the parameter data stored in the memory circuit, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to supply the RF signals to the external antenna for emitting excitation signals from the external antenna during the excitation period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence;
• and
• an NMR receiver circuit for receiving electrical signals generated by the external antenna during the acquisition period of the corresponding NMR pulse sequence;
• wherein the memory circuit, data communication interface, pulse sequencer, NMR transmitter circuit, and NMR receiver circuit are all integrated as parts of a single integrated circuit chip;
• and
• wherein the parameter data stored by the memory circuit includes data that corresponds to a plurality of NMR pulse sequences and that allows for varying pulse amplitude over the plurality of NMR pulse sequences.