Sensor system with reduced sensitivity to sample placement
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for detecting the change in an RF signal comprising:
- a. a sample cavity;
b. at least two pairs of magnets 320, 322 positioned adjacent to the sample cavity;
c. wherein the at least two pairs of magnets are arranged with one magnetic pole of each magnet oriented inwardly in the direction toward the sample cavity, with adjacent magnets having inward facing poles of opposite magnetic polarity; and
d. at least two pairs of electrodes 328, 330 each pair of electrodes comprising a transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode, positioned adjacent to the sample cavity and arranged with adjacent electrodes having complementary functions.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the non-invasive analysis of materials in both in-vivo and ex-vivo configurations that show reduced sensitivity to sample placement within the sample measurement location. Embodiments of the apparatus make use of paired magnetic configurations and/or paired electrode configurations. Methods are described that compensate for the variation in sample size, and volume to give accurate and repeatable results.
22 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting the change in an RF signal comprising:
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a. a sample cavity; b. at least two pairs of magnets 320, 322 positioned adjacent to the sample cavity; c. wherein the at least two pairs of magnets are arranged with one magnetic pole of each magnet oriented inwardly in the direction toward the sample cavity, with adjacent magnets having inward facing poles of opposite magnetic polarity; and d. at least two pairs of electrodes 328, 330 each pair of electrodes comprising a transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode, positioned adjacent to the sample cavity and arranged with adjacent electrodes having complementary functions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for detecting the change in an RF signal comprising:
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a. a sensor 600 comprising; a. a sample cavity having a periphery; b. at least two pairs of magnets 320, 322 positioned adjacent to the sample cavity; c. wherein the at least two pairs of magnets 320, 322 are substantially evenly distributed around the periphery of the sample cavity; d. wherein the at least two pairs of magnets 320, 322 are arranged with one magnetic pole of each magnet oriented inwardly in the direction toward the sample cavity and arranged with adjacent magnets having inward facing poles of opposite magnetic polarity; e. at least two pairs of electrodes 328, 330, each pair comprising a transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode, positioned adjacent to the sample cavity and arranged with adjacent electrodes having complimentary functions; f. wherein the at least two pairs of electrodes 328, 330 are substantially evenly distributed around the periphery of the sample cavity; b. an apparatus 280 for generating an electromagnetic signal of varying frequencies connected to the transmitting electrodes; and c. an apparatus 281 for measuring and storing a characteristic of an electromagnetic signal and connected to the receiving electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for determining at least one characteristic of a sample comprising:
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a. placing a sample within the sample cavity of a sensor 600; b. generating an electromagnetic field of varying frequencies and applying the electromagnetic field to transmitting electrodes within the sensor; c. measuring and storing a characteristic of an electromagnetic signal obtained from receiving electrodes within the sensor; d. performing additional analysis procedures to measure and store other attributes of a sample positioned within the sample cavity; e. processing and combining measured and stored electromagnetic and attribute data from at least one analysis session; f. communicating the processed and combined measured and stored electromagnetic and attribute data to a database; and g. performing analysis procedures for comparing the combined measured and stored electromagnetic and attribute data with other data within the database to determine at least one characteristic of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification