Patent US4636730A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4636730A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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NMR spectroscopy body probes with at least one surface coil
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1984-08-16
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Granted: 1987-01-13
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Expires: 2004-08-16
Abstract
Abstract An NMR spectroscopy body probe is comprised of at least one surface coil, each coil having at least one turn and positioned adjacent to a first surface of an insulative member; an electric-field-reducing shield is fabricated upon the other surface of the relatively flexible substrate. The shield surface of the probe is to be positioned closest to the sample. A plurality of surface coil-bearing substrates can be stacked, one adjacent to the other with the planes thereof substantially parallel to each other and to the plane of the electric-field shield, and with each individual surface coil being separately tunable to a different nuclei species resonance frequency. Each surface coil can be utilized for both transmission and reception, or can be used for only reception of the re-radiated signal from the sample, with a separate excitation coil being provided with a radius substantially greater than the average radius of the (receiver) surface coil and positioned in the plane of any of the at least one receiving surface coils.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul A. Bottomley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/28; G01N27/30; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/28; G01R33/32; G01R33/36; G01R33/3628; G01R33/3635; G01R33/34; G01R33/34007; G01R33/341; G01R33/3415; G01R33/42; G01R33/422; G01R33/44; G01R33/48; G01R33/483; G01R33/4831; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/825; Y10S505/842; Y10S505/843; Y10S505/844
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
200 words
An antenna probe for use with an NMR system, comprising: an insulative substrate having at least initially planar opposed first and second surfaces arranged to be positioned respectively nearest to and furthest from an adjacent exterior surface of an object to be investigated; at least one surface coil antenna, each having at least one turn of a single conductive member connected only between first and second coil ends, fabricated initially as, and reconfigurable to, a planar coil of one of substantially circular and substantially spiral shape in the plane of, and adjacent to, said second substrate surface; each surface coil antenna providing a spatially non-uniform magnetic field when a single radio-frequency current flows therethrough; means fabricated adjacent to said first surface for substantially attentuating the radio-frequency electric field of any signal radiated by said at least one surface coil antenna; and at least one means for separately connecting to said first and second coil ends of each different one of said at least one surface coil antenna, to allow each surface coil antenna to provide a single radio-frequency signal, received from said object, to said system or to radiate a single radio-frequency signal, received from said system, to said object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
200 words
An antenna probe for use with an NMR system, comprising: an insulative substrate having at least initially planar opposed first and second surfaces arranged to be positioned respectively nearest to and furthest from an adjacent exterior surface of an object to be investigated; at least one surface coil antenna, each having at least one turn of a single conductive member connected only between first and second coil ends, fabricated initially as, and reconfigurable to, a planar coil of one of substantially circular and substantially spiral shape in the plane of, and adjacent to, said second substrate surface; each surface coil antenna providing a spatially non-uniform magnetic field when a single radio-frequency current flows therethrough; means fabricated adjacent to said first surface for substantially attentuating the radio-frequency electric field of any signal radiated by said at least one surface coil antenna; and at least one means for separately connecting to said first and second coil ends of each different one of said at least one surface coil antenna, to allow each surface coil antenna to provide a single radio-frequency signal, received from said object, to said system or to radiate a single radio-frequency signal, received from said system, to said object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The antenna probe of claim 1, wherein said attentuating means is a Faraday shield.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The antenna probe of claim 2, wherein said Faraday shield comprises: a plurality of substantially parallel conductive elements, spaced apart from one another; and a single central conductive member connected substantially to the midpoint of each conductive element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The antenna probe of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one surface coil antenna comprises an initially planar spiral having a plurlarity of turns of said conductive member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The antenna probe of claim 4, wherein the conductive member of each surface coil has a predetermined width, said plurality of surface coil turn having a preselected spacing therebetween not less than said predetermined width, and said surface coil has an average radius exceeding both the width of the conductive member and the turn-to-turn spacing thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
102 words
The antenna probe of claim 1, wherein a pair of surface coil antennae are fabricated adjacent to said insulative substrate second surface, a first one of said surface coil antenna having a first predetermined average radius; the remaining one of said surface coil antenna having a predetermined second average radius greater than the average radius of the first surface coil antenna; and said connecting means comprises first means for connecting the first and second ends of the first surface coil to said system; and second means for separately connecting the first and second ends of the larger-radius surface coil to said system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The antenna probe of claim 6, wherein the larger-radius surface coil antenna has a single turn of a conductive member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The antenna probe of claim 7, wherein the smaller-radius surface coil antenna has a plurality of turns of a conductive member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The antenna probe of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second surface coil antennae are resonant at a different frequency.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The antenna probe of claim 6, wherein each of said first and second surface coil antennae resonates substantially at the Larmor frequency of a nuclei specie to be investigated in said object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The antenna probe of claim 10, wherein said second means receives a first radio-frequency signal from said system for excitation of said object; and said first means provides a second radio-frequency signal, received from said object, to said system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The antenna probe of claim 10, wherein the average radius of the larger-radius surface coil antenna is not less than twice the average radius of the smaller-radius surface coil antenna.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
The antenna probe of claim 1, further comprising: at least one other insulative substrate having a first surface positioned adjacent to the second surface of the previous substrate; and a second surface opposite to said first surface; and at least one surface coil antenna adjacent to the second surface of each other layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The antenna probe of claim 13, wherein each other layer includes means passing therethrough for allowing passage therethrough of the connecting means from at least one surface coil antenna on at least one previous substrate second surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The antenna probe of claim 13, wherein said at least one other layer is a second insulative substrate having a first surface adjacent to the second surface of said insulative substrate and having said at least one other surface coil antenna fabricated adjacent to a surface thereof furthest from said attenuating means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The antenna probe of claim 15, wherein each of said substrate and said second substrate have a reception surface coil antenna upon the second surfaces respectively thereof, each of said reception surface coil antennae being respectively substantially resonant at the Larmor frequency of respectively different nuclei species.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The antenna probe of claim 16, wherein at least one of said substrate and said second substrate have an excitation surface coil antenna fabricated adjacent to the second surface thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The antenna probe of claim 17, wherein an excitation surface coil antenna is fabricated adjacent to the second surface of each of said substrate and said second substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The antenna probe of claim 18, where at least one of the excitation antennae is substantially resonant at the same frequency as the substantial resonance of at least one associated reception surface coil antenna.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
The antenna probe of claim 13, further comprising at least one additional insulative substrate having a first surface positioned adjacent to the second surface of said other substrate, and a second surface opposite to said first surface; and at least one surface coil antenna fabricated adjacent to the second surface of each additional layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The antenna probe of claim 20, wherein each of said substrate, said other substrate and said additional substrate have a reception surface coil antenna upon the second surfaces respectively thereof, each of said reception surface coil antennae being respectively substantailly resonant at the Larmor frequency of respectively different nuclei species.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
The antenna probe of claim 21, wherein at least one of said substrate, said other substrate and said additional substrate have an excitation surface coil antenna adjacent to the second surface thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The antenna probe of claim 22, further comprising an excitation surface coil antenna adjacent to the second surfce of each substrate of said probe.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The antenna probe of claim 22, where at least one of the excitation antennae is substantially resonant at the same frequency as the substantial resonance of at least one associated reception surface coil antenna.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The antenna probe of claim 1, wherein said probe is adapted to substantially conformally fit the curve of said object exterior surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-01-12 | 1990-07-14 | 1991-01-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-01-12 | 1994-07-14 | 1995-01-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-01-12 | 1998-07-14 | 1999-01-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |