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US 8,710,837 B2Granted
Shipping container explosives and contraband detection system using nuclear quadrupole resonance
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorsPaul A. Zank, John T. Apostolos, Judy Feng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For container-carried explosives or contraband in which the container is made of conductive material and can therefore constitute a Faraday cage, stimulated emissions due to nuclear quadrupole resonance are detected utilizing a terminated balanced transmission line and a directional coupler for the detection of explosives, contraband, narcotics and the like that exist in metal containers.
Claims7
A method for detecting substances including contraband and explosives housed in a metal container, comprising:
- irradiating the container with electromagnetic energy below 4 MHz utilizing a terminated balanced transmission line outside the container;
- and,
- measuring the stimulated emissions from the substance that is the result of nuclear quadrupole resonance utilizing the terminated balanced transmission line, the step of measuring nuclear quadrupole resonance from stimulated emissions including measuring irradiation below 4 MHz, wherein measuring the stimulated emissions includes measuring the stimulated emission spectra of the stimulated emissions, the measuring step including providing a network analyzer having a S21 ratio output and having the capability of generating a signal below 4 MHz coupled to an antenna and having a directional coupler for separating the transmitted signal from the stimulated response signal, the directional coupler being coupled to the network analyzer such that stimulated emission response is measured by the S21 ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.