Toroid cavity/coil NMR multi-detector

• US 7,271,592 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: US Department of Energy (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Gerald, Rex E. II, Rathke, Jerome W., Gregar, Joseph S., Meadows, Alexander D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shrivastav; Brij
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetzner; Tiffany A.
• Application Number:
  US11/152,853
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/321
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/302 Miniaturized sample handling arrangements for sampling small quantities, e.g. flow-through microfluidic NMR chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/307 specially adapted for moving the sample relative to the MR system, e.g. spinning mechanisms, flow cells or means for positioning the sample inside a spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34053 Solenoid coils; Toroidal coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34061 Helmholtz coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34092 RF coils specially adapted for NMR spectrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels

Abstract

An analytical device for rapid, non-invasive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of multiple samples using a single spectrometer is provided. A modified toroid cavity/coil detector (TCD), and methods for conducting the simultaneous acquisition of NMR data for multiple samples including a protocol for testing NMR multi-detectors are provided. One embodiment includes a plurality of LC resonant circuits including spatially separated toroid coil inductors, each toroid coil inductor enveloping its corresponding sample volume, and tuned to resonate at a predefined frequency using a variable capacitor. The toroid coil is formed into a loop, where both ends of the toroid coil are brought into coincidence. Another embodiment includes multiple micro Helmholtz coils arranged on a circular perimeter concentric with a central conductor of the toroid cavity.

Claims

1. An analytical device configured for non-invasive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of multiple samples comprising:

at least one continuous sample container tube containing at least one sample for analysis, said continuous sample tube forming at least one sample container tube loop section and having associated transport sections, each of said at least one sample container tube loops having a sample inlet end and a sample exit end wherein the sample inlet end and the sample exit end of each of the at least one sample container tube loops are bent back towards one another in order to bring both inlet and exit ends into close proximity to one another;

a separate conductor element wrapped around the loop section of the at least one of said sample container tube loops, for each of the sample container tube loops present which are contained within the at least one continuous sample container tube, said conductor alternately generating a RF magnetic field configured for NMR interrogation and reception of an NMR signal from a sample; and

a multiplexer coupled to at least one of each of said one or more conductor elements receiving said NMR signals from said one or more conductor elements.

2. The analytical device as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one sample container tube loops are formed from said sample container tube wherein both ends of said sample container tube loops for at least one of said sample container tube loops are brought into coincidence wherein said one or more conductor elements form a toroid coil for at least one of said sample container tube loops.

3. The analytical device as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said sample tube container loops are connected in series with the at least one continuous sample container tube.