Methods and devices for analysis of sealed containers

• US 7,012,427 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Augustine, Matthew P., Bruins, Paul, Weekley, April J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARANA, LOUIS M
• Application Number:
  US11/016,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 324/307, 324/309, 324/300, 324/312, 324/314, 324/316, 324/317, 324/318, 324/321, 436/24, 436/173, 436/139
• US Class Current: 324/307
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/08 by using nuclear magnetic resonance G01N24/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/085 Analysis of materials for the purpose of controlling industrial production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/30 Sample handling arrangements, e.g. sample cells, spinning mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/31 Temperature control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34053 Solenoid coils; Toroidal coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/341 comprising surface coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3635 Multi-frequency operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/44 using nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] G01R33/24, G01R33/62 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/14 operating with electron or nuclear magnetic resonance

Abstract

This invention provides methods, NMR probes, and NMR systems for the analysis of the contents of sealed food and beverage containers and the like.

Claims

1. A method of assessing the cork seal quality for a sealed wine bottle, the method comprising:

positioning a portion of the sealed wine bottle within a data collection region of an NMR probe configured to accept the bottle;

establishing a homogeneous static magnetic field across the data collection region;

collecting NMR data and generating a Fourier-transformed NMR spectrum; and

analyzing the NMR spectrum for the presence of an acetic acid resonance or an aldehyde resonance, thereby assessing quality of the cork seal with respect to an anaerobic environment of the sealed wine bottle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealed wine bottle is selected from the group consisting of:

a Bordeaux-style bottle, a Burgundy-style bottle, a Hoch-style bottle, a Champagne-style bottle, and a Chianti-style bottle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning comprises placing a neck of the sealed wine bottle within the data collection region of the NMR probe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning comprises placing a body of the sealed wine bottle within the data collection region of the NMR probe.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the NMR data comprises ¹H data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the NMR data comprises ¹³C data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the NMR spectrum further comprises determining a concentration of an acetic acid component in the sealed wine bottle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the NMR spectrum further comprises determining a concentration of an aldehyde component in the sealed wine bottle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the homogeneous static magnetic field comprises adjusting one or more shims to produce a ¹H line width of ≦

4 Hz.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the NMR data comprises attenuation of a water resonance using a radiofrequency (rf) pulse prior to data collection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the NMR data comprises block averaging of data sets.