Method and system for the detection and identification of explosives and/or contraband
First Claim
1. In a system using a signal generator for injecting energy corresponding to a spectral line of a target molecule in which the stimulated emission response from any target molecules at a given location is detected utilizing a network analyzer to derive a ratio between the injected energy and the stimulated emission response energy in terms of an S21 output signal, a method for the detection and identification of target molecules utilizing nuclear quadrupole resonance, comprising the steps of:
- calibrating the system by detecting the S21 output signal from the network analyzer in the absence of a target molecule at the location, thus to provide a reference data response;
performing a linear regression on the reference data response;
injecting the energy corresponding to a spectral line of the target molecule using an untuned balanced terminated zero Q parallel conductor transmission line at the location to ascertain if any target molecules exist at the location;
utilizing the network analyzer to detect the stimulated emission response from a target molecule that exists at the location as a result of the injection of the energy;
performing a linear regression on the S21 output signal from the network analyzer containing a stimulated emission response; and
,subtracting the linear regression of the stimulated emission response from the linear regression of the reference to provide a decluttered spectral line.
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Abstract
A nuclear quadrupole resonance system which senses the stimulated emission from target molecules includes in a calibration step and a stimulated emission response detection step, with the system employing clutter cancellation involving linear regression and the use of cross correlation with a series of known molecular signatures, both increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the system.
35 Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a system using a signal generator for injecting energy corresponding to a spectral line of a target molecule in which the stimulated emission response from any target molecules at a given location is detected utilizing a network analyzer to derive a ratio between the injected energy and the stimulated emission response energy in terms of an S21 output signal, a method for the detection and identification of target molecules utilizing nuclear quadrupole resonance, comprising the steps of:
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calibrating the system by detecting the S21 output signal from the network analyzer in the absence of a target molecule at the location, thus to provide a reference data response; performing a linear regression on the reference data response; injecting the energy corresponding to a spectral line of the target molecule using an untuned balanced terminated zero Q parallel conductor transmission line at the location to ascertain if any target molecules exist at the location; utilizing the network analyzer to detect the stimulated emission response from a target molecule that exists at the location as a result of the injection of the energy; performing a linear regression on the S21 output signal from the network analyzer containing a stimulated emission response; and
,subtracting the linear regression of the stimulated emission response from the linear regression of the reference to provide a decluttered spectral line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a nuclear quadrupole resonance target molecule detection system in which a target molecule is irradiated with energy corresponding to a spectral line thereof and in which the S21 ratio of the incident energy on the target molecule versus the stimulated emission energy from the target molecule is detected, a method for decluttering the S21 ratio, comprising the steps of:
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irradiating the target molecule using an untuned balanced terminated zero Q parallel conductor transmission line; obtaining a reference in which the target molecule is not present at a given location; on a computer providing a linear regression of the reference to provide a straight line fit of the reference; irradiating a target molecule utilizing an untuned balanced terminated zero Q parallel conductor transmission line so as to provide a stimulated emission response from the target molecule in terms of target molecule raw data; on a computer performing a linear regression on the target molecule raw data; on a computer subtracting the target molecule linear regression from the reference linear regression; and
,displaying the decluttered result to present an uncluttered stimulated transmission line.
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9. A system for detection and identification of target molecules utilizing nuclear quadrupole resonance, comprising:
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an untuned terminated balanced transmission line having parallel conductors and a zero Q; a network analyzer coupled to said transmission line for driving said balanced transmission line with a signal having a frequency equal to the expected frequency of a spectral line of said target molecule; a directional coupler for detecting stimulated emissions from a target molecule within the transmission line, said directional coupler coupled to said network analyzer, said network analyzer providing as an output thereof an S21 signal; a number of linear regression modules coupled to the output of said network analyzer for providing linear regressions of S21 signals from said network analyzer; a reference corresponding to the output of said network analyzer when there is no target molecule within said transmission line; stimulated emission raw data obtained as an output of said network analyzer when said target molecule is within said balanced transmission line; one of said linear regression modules processing the signal from said network analyzer corresponding to a reference level from said transmission line absent a target molecule therein; a second one of said linear regression modules providing the output of said network analyzer corresponding to stimulated emission raw data that is the result of a target molecule within said balanced transmission line; a summation node coupled to the outputs of said linear regression modules to subtract one output from the other; a cross correlator having one output coupled to the output of said summation node; a library of summations having an output coupled to another input to said cross correlator; and
,a display coupled to the output of said cross correlator for robust spectral line display. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a system using a signal generator for injecting energy corresponding to a spectral line of a target molecule in which the stimulated emission response from any target molecules at a given location is detected utilizing a network analyzer to derive a ratio between the injected energy and the stimulated emission response energy in terms of an S21 output signal, a system for the detection and identification of target molecules utilizing nuclear quadrupole resonance, comprising:
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a calibrator for calibrating the system by detecting the S21 output signal from the network analyzer in the absence of a target molecule at the location, thus to provide a reference data response; a linear regression module for performing a linear regression on the reference data response; a signal generator and an untuned balanced terminated zero Q parallel conductor transmission line for injecting the energy corresponding to a spectral line of the target molecule at the location to ascertain if any target molecules exist at the location; said network analyzer detecting the stimulated emission response from a target molecule that exists at the location as a result of the injection of the energy; a linear regression module for performing a linear regression on the S21 output signal from said network analyzer containing a stimulated emission response; and
,a subtraction module for subtracting the linear regression of the stimulated emission response from the linear regression of the reference to provide a decluttered spectral line. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification