System and method for improving the analysis of polymorphic chemical substance forms and concentrations using NQR

A method for analyzing polymorphic forms and concentrations of a chemical substance during production thereof to determine a polymorphic characteristic of the chemical substance indicative of a quality thereof, comprising:

• irradiating the chemical substance with RF energy in a prescribed manner to stimulate nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) of certain nuclei within the chemical substance;
• receiving and processing a signal emitted from said chemical substance to isolate an NQR signal therefrom;
• analyzing said NQR signal to obtain an indication of the polymorphic characteristic of the chemical substance indicative of the quality thereof;
• comparing said indication with prescribed reference parameters pertaining to that polymorphic characteristic;
• and
• providing an output signal indicative of a result of said comparison to signify whether the chemical substance is in accord with quality requirements prescribed for that polymorphic characteristic and to differentiate between different forms of the chemical substance.

A system for analyzing polymorphic forms and concentrations of a polymorphic chemical substance to determine a polymorphic characteristic of the chemical substance, comprising:

• a chamber configured for receiving and encompassing the chemical substance therein;
• a probe containing a coil configured to irradiate said chamber with RF energy;
• a conveyor to convey the chemical substance through said chamber;
• generating and transmitting means to generate and transmit a signal in a prescribed manner to excite said probe so as to irradiate said chamber with RF energy in order to stimulate nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR of certain nuclei within the chemical substance;
• receiving and processing means to receive signals from said chamber in close association with said signal in order to isolate an NQR signal therefrom;
• and
• analyse analyzing means to analyze said NQR signal in a manner so as to obtain a measure of the polymorphic characteristic of the chemical substance and to differentiate between different polymorphic forms and concentrations of the chemical substance.

A method for analyzing polymorphic forms and concentrations of a polymorphic chemical substance to determine a polymorphic characteristic of the chemical substance, wherein said polymorphic characteristic is related to a quality of production of the polymorphic chemical substance;

• comprising:
• (i) conveying the chemical substance into volume;
• (ii) irradiating said volume with RF radiation in accordance with a prescribed pulse sequence at a prescribed frequency;
• (iii) receiving signals from said chemical substance at said prescribed frequency;
• (iv) processing said signals for nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals;
• (v) determining quadrupole parameters from said NQR signals including any one of:
• line-width, frequency, peak height, impurity frequency;
• or any combination thereof;
• (vi) determining a size of at least one of said quadrupole parameters;
• (vii) comparing said size of at least one of said quadrupole parameters against at least one reference parameter to determine a qualitative measure of a polymorphic characteristic of said polymorphic chemical substance determinative from said at least one quadrupole parameter and to differentiate between different polymorphic forms and concentrations of the polymorphic chemical substance;
• and
• (viii) generating a signal when if said qualitative measure differs beyond a threshold amount from said at least one reference parameter.