Combinational nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus with linear frequency chirp detected signals

Claim 1

A combined Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) apparatus comprising: a first and second conductive surface arranged in parallel with one another; a first and second conductive wire segment disposed along and adjacent to a respective one of each of the first and second conductive surfaces; a first and second electromagnetic coil each comprising a winding formed as a plurality of wire turns, the first and second coils being disposed between respective ones of the first and second conductive surfaces; and a signal transmitter coupling a linear frequency chirped signal to each of the first and second wire segments; a direct current (DC) generator selectively coupling to the electromagnetic coils in order to generate a static magnetic field; and a controller, which controls the signal transmitter and DC generator in two modes of operation by enabling the signal transmitter while disabling the DC generator in an NQR mode of operation and thereby create a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) in a substance located adjacent the first and second surfaces; enabling the signal transmitter and enabling the DC generator transmitter in an NMR mode of operation and thereby create a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in a substance located adjacent the first and second surfaces; a receiver receiving the resulting NQR and NMR radio frequency emissions; a processor, determining characteristics of the substance from the resulting NQR and NMR radio frequency emissions; and a display for displaying said determined characteristics of the substance.

Claim 12

A method of detecting a substance via Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) comprising: a first and second conductive surface arranged in parallel with one another; a first and second conductive elongated wire segment disposed along and adjacent to a respective one of each of the first and second conductive surfaces; a first and second electromagnetic coil each comprising a winding formed as plurality of wire turns, the first and second coils being disposed between respective ones of the first and second conductive surfaces; and coupling a linear frequency chirped signal transmitter to the first and second elongated wire segments; coupling a direct current (DC) source to the first and second electromagnetic coils disposed adjacent the elongated wire segments; enabling the signal transmitter while disabling the DC source in an NQR mode of operation and thereby creating a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) in a substance located adjacent the wire segments and coils; enabling the signal transmitter and enabling the DC source in an NMR mode of operation and thereby creating a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in a substance located adjacent the wire segments and coils; receiving resulting NQR and NMR radio frequency emissions; processing the resulting radio frequency emissions; determining characteristics of the substance using both NQR and NMR detection processing; and displaying the characteristics of the substance.

Claim 13

A method of detecting a substance via Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) comprising: a first and second conductive surface arranged in parallel with one another; a first and second conductive elongated wire segment disposed along and adjacent to a respective one of each of the first and second conductive surfaces; a first and second electromagnetic coil each comprising a winding formed as plurality of wire turns, the first and second coils being disposed between respective ones of the first and second conductive surfaces; and coupling a linear frequency chirped signal transmitter to the first and second elongated wire segments; coupling a direct current (DC) source to the first and second electromagnetic coils disposed adjacent the elongated wire segments; enabling the signal transmitter while disabling the DC source in an NQR mode of operation and thereby creating a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) in a substance located adjacent the wire segments and coils; enabling the signal transmitter and enabling the DC source in an NMR mode of operation and thereby creating a time varying electromagnetic field that induces a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in a substance located adjacent the wire segments and coils; receiving resulting NQR and NMR radio frequency emissions; processing the resulting radio frequency emissions; determining characteristics of the substance using both NQR and NMR detection processing; and displaying the characteristics of the substance.