Methods and apparatus for scanning a band of frequencies using an array of high temperature superconductor sensors
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals in a sample by scanning the sample with a band of frequencies Δ
- F using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors, wherein n≧
2 and the bandwidth of each sensor is Δ
f, the method comprising the steps of;
a) determining r different frequencies that span the band of frequencies Δ
F when using sensors with bandwidths Δ
f, wherein r is of the order of Δ
F/Δ
f;
b) tuning the resonance frequency of each of the n sensors to a different one of the r frequencies, and maintaining these resonance frequencies for a selected period of time;
c) retuning simultaneously the resonance frequency of each of the n sensors to a different one of the r frequencies, and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time, wherein each of the n sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from the resonance frequency to which it was tuned or retuned in any previous step and no two sensors are tuned to the same resonance frequency at the same time; and
d) repeating step (c) r-2 times wherein the resonance frequency of each sensor is tuned for one period of time to each of the r different frequencies,whereby every sensor utilizes every one of the r frequencies to scan the sample to detect the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals.
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Abstract
The methods of the invention for scanning a band of frequencies using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system with an array of high temperature superconductor sensors to detect nuclear quadrupole resonance signals improve the nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system performance.
102 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for detecting the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals in a sample by scanning the sample with a band of frequencies Δ
- F using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors, wherein n≧
2 and the bandwidth of each sensor is Δ
f, the method comprising the steps of;a) determining r different frequencies that span the band of frequencies Δ
F when using sensors with bandwidths Δ
f, wherein r is of the order of Δ
F/Δ
f;b) tuning the resonance frequency of each of the n sensors to a different one of the r frequencies, and maintaining these resonance frequencies for a selected period of time; c) retuning simultaneously the resonance frequency of each of the n sensors to a different one of the r frequencies, and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time, wherein each of the n sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from the resonance frequency to which it was tuned or retuned in any previous step and no two sensors are tuned to the same resonance frequency at the same time; and d) repeating step (c) r-2 times wherein the resonance frequency of each sensor is tuned for one period of time to each of the r different frequencies, whereby every sensor utilizes every one of the r frequencies to scan the sample to detect the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- F using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors, wherein n≧
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6. A method for detecting the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals in a sample by scanning the sample with a band of frequencies Δ
- F using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors to detect nuclear quadrupole resonance signals, wherein n≧
4 and the bandwidth of each sensor is Δ
f, comprising;a) dividing the sensors into m groups with p sensors in each group, determining r different frequencies that span the band of frequencies Δ
F when using sensors with bandwidths Δ
f, wherein r is of the order of Δ
F/Δ
f, dividing the r different frequencies into s sets with p of the r different frequencies in each set, and assigning each set of frequencies to one of the groups of sensors;b) tuning the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p frequencies in a set of frequencies assigned to that group, and maintaining these tuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time; c) retuning simultaneously the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p frequencies within the same set assigned to that group for step (b), and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time, wherein each of the p sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from the resonance frequency to which it was tuned or retuned in any previous step and no two sensors are tuned to the same resonance frequency at the same time; d) repeating step (c) p-2 times; e) retuning the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p different frequencies in a second set of frequencies assigned to that group, and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time; f) retuning simultaneously the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p frequencies within the same set assigned to that group for step (e), and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time, wherein each of the p sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from the resonance frequency to which it was tuned or retuned in any previous step and no two sensors are tuned to the same resonance frequency at the same time; g) repeating step (f) p-2 times; and h) repeating steps (e), (f) and (g) for each additional set of p different frequencies until all s sets of frequencies have been used as resonance frequencies for one of the m groups of sensors, whereby every sensor in any one of the m groups utilizes every one of the frequencies in the sets of frequencies assigned to that qroup to scan the sample to detect the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
- F using a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors to detect nuclear quadrupole resonance signals, wherein n≧
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11. A method for detecting the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals in a sample by scanning the sample with a band of frequencies Δ
- F usinq a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors to detect nuclear quadrupole resonance signals, wherein n≧
4 and the bandwidth of each sensor is Δ
f, comprising;a) dividing the n sensors into m groups with p sensors in each group, determining r different frequencies that span the band of frequencies Δ
F when using sensors with bandwidths Δ
f, wherein r is of the order of Δ
F/Δ
f, dividing the r different frequencies into m sets with at least p of the r different frequencies in each set, and assigning one set of frequencies to each group of sensors;b) tuning the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p frequencies selected from any of the frequencies assigned to that group, and maintaining these tuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time; c) retuning simultaneously the resonance frequency of each of the p sensors in each group to a different one of the p frequencies selected from any of frequencies assigned to that group, and maintaining these retuned resonance frequencies for a selected period of time, wherein each of the p sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from the resonance frequency to which it was tuned or retuned in any previous step and no two sensors are tuned to the same resonance frequency at the same time; and d) repeating step (c) until all of the frequencies in the sets of frequencies assigned to each group have been used as a resonance frequency by each sensor in the group, whereby every sensor in any one of the m groups utilizes every one of the frequencies assigned to that group to scan the sample to detect the presence of nuclear quadrupole resonance signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- F usinq a nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system comprising an array of n high temperature superconductor sensors to detect nuclear quadrupole resonance signals, wherein n≧
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16. A nuclear quadrupole resonance detection system configured for scanning a sample, comprising:
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a) n high temperature superconductor sensors, each with bandwidth Δ
f, in order to scan a band of frequencies Δ
F and detect the presence of any nuclear quadrupole resonance signal within the band of frequencies Δ
F, wherein n≧
2;b) means to tune the resonance frequencies of the n sensors to n different frequencies, wherein the n different frequencies are selected from the group of r different frequencies that span the band of frequencies Δ
F using sensors with bandwidths Δ
f, and wherein r is of the order of Δ
F/Δ
f; andc) means to simultaneously retune r-1 times the resonance frequencies of the n sensors to n different frequencies each time, wherein after each retuning, each of the n sensors has a retuned resonance frequency that is different from any of the resonance frequencies to which it was previously tuned or retuned. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification