SQUID detected NMR and MRI at ultralow fields
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJohn Clarke, Robert McDermott, Alexander Pines, Andreas Heinz Trabesinger
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Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals are detected in microtesla fields. Prepolarization in millitesla fields is followed by detection with an untuned dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Because the sensitivity of the SQUID is frequency independent, both signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral resolution are enhanced by detecting the NMR signal in extremely low magnetic fields, where the NMR lines become very narrow even for grossly inhomogeneous measurement fields. MRI in ultralow magnetic field is based on the NMR at ultralow fields. Gradient magnetic fields are applied, and images are constructed from the detected NMR signals.
Claims17
A portable apparatus for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of a sample at room temperature, comprising:
- an untuned low critical temperature (Tc) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer capable of detecting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from a room temperature sample in a microtesla magnetic field;
- a means for generating the microtesla magnetic field;
- and
- a means for generating the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals in the room temperature sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.