Truncated nuclear magnetic imaging probe

Abstract

A truncated transmission line probe for Nuclear Magnetic and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging is disclosed. The truncated probe includes an inner and an outer conductor both of which have first and second ends. The second ends of the inner and outer conductors are electrically short circuited to one another. A portion of the outer conductor is removed in the vicinity of the short circuited ends to expose a portion of the inner conductor. A microwave or radio frequency pulse is transmitted along the inner conductor to the short circuited end and reflected back. A radio frequency magnetic field is emitted from the inner conductor and the area of the emitted magnetic field conforms to the opening in the outer conductor. Sample material placed adjacent the opening in the outer conductor is irradiated by the magnetic field and the nuclear magnetic or electron paramagnetic response of the sample material is received by the inner conductor. The inner conductor transmits the response of the sample material to a conductor in a connector mounted at the first end of the inner conductor. The connector may be coupled to image generating circuitry to create an image based on the nuclear magnetic or electron paramagnetic response of the sample material. A novel catheter probe is also disclosed which may be used for the imaging of corpuscular vessels or the like.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.