US4677382A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for providing multiple-species capability of single-species NMR spectrometry/imaging apparatus
Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1985-08-19
•
Granted: 1987-06-30
•
Expires: 2005-08-19
Abstract
Abstract Conversion apparatus facilitating acquisition of NMR spectroscopy and/or imaging information from a desired one of a plurality of nuclear species, in a system originally capable of acquiring spectroscopy/imaging information for only a single nuclear species, uses: a first frequency converter to provide an excitation signal by heterodyning the transmitter signal of the single species system to the Larmor frequency of the desired one of the plurality of nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species; and a second frequency converter to heterodyne the response signal from the Larmor frequency of the desired nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species, to the frequency of the single species. The first and second converters are bypassed if the single original species is the desired species.
Inventors
- 👤 Dimitrios Vatis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:06
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/28; G01R33/32; G01R33/36; G01R33/3607
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
Conversion apparatus, used with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system having a transmitter and a receiver originally capable of acquiring response signals from only a single nuclear species, for acquiring response signals from a desired one of a plurality of nuclear species including the original single species, comprising: first means for frequency converting an excitation signal, provided by said original system transmitter, to another excitation signal having substantially the resonance frequency of the desired one of the plurality of nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species; second means for frequency converting a response signal from the resonance frequency of the desired nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species, to a signal, at said receiver, have a frequency substantially equal to the original single species resonance frequency; and means for bypassing both of said first and second means if said original single species is the desired species.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
Conversion apparatus, used with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system having a transmitter and a receiver originally capable of acquiring response signals from only a single nuclear species, for acquiring response signals from a desired one of a plurality of nuclear species including the original single species, comprising: first means for frequency converting an excitation signal, provided by said original system transmitter, to another excitation signal having substantially the resonance frequency of the desired one of the plurality of nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species; second means for frequency converting a response signal from the resonance frequency of the desired nuclear species, if that desired species is not the original single species, to a signal, at said receiver, have a frequency substantially equal to the original single species resonance frequency; and means for bypassing both of said first and second means if said original single species is the desired species.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said original single species is selected to be that one of said plurality of nuclear species having the highest gyromagnetic constant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said original single species is 1 Hydrogen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one additional one of said plurality of nuclear species is 13 Carbon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said plurality of nuclear species also includes 31 Phosphorous.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one additional one of said plurality of nuclear species is 31 Phosphorous.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 3, wherein said original single species resonance frequency is on the order of 64 MHz.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said plurality of nuclear species have resonance frequencies over about 2 octaves.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: stable oscillator means, separate from said first means, for providing a local oscillator frequency signal for heterodyning said original single species excitation signal substantially to the resonance frequency of said desired species.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first means comprises: first mixer means for heterodyning said local oscillator signal and said excitation signal to provide an output signal substantially at the resonance frequence of said desired species; and first filtering means, receiving the output signal from said first mixer means, for substantially passing the output signal component substantially at the selected species resonance frequency, while simultaneously substantially attenuating the components of said output signal at the frequencies of at least said local oscillator signal and said original single species excitation signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first mixer means subtracts the frequency of one of said local oscillator and excitation signals from the frequency of the other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said stable oscillator means is also separate from said second means and provides a local oscillator frequency signal for heterodyning said desired original single species response signal substantially to the resonance frequency of said original species.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said second means comprises: second mixer means for heterodying said local oscillator signal and said response signal to provide an output signal substantially at said original single species resonance frequency; and second filtering means, receiving the signal from the output of said second mixer means, for substantially passing the output signal component substantially at the original single species response frequency and for substantially attenuating the components of said output signal at the frequencies of at least said local oscillator signal and said desired species response signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second mixer means adds the frequencies of said local oscillator and excitation signals to obtain the output signal frequency.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said original single species has a gyromagnetic constant greater than the gyromagnetic constant of all other species, and said second means further comprises: lowpass filtering means for substantially attenuating in the response signal to be provided to said second mixer means, any response signal component substantially at the original single species resonance frequency component.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said oscillator means is a variable-frequency signal synthesizer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: stable oscillator means, separate from said second means, for providing a local oscillator frequency signal for heterodyning said desired original single species response signal substantially to the resonance frequency of said original species.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
92 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said second means comprises: second mixer means for heterodyning said local oscillator signal and said response signal to provide an output signal substantially at said original single species resonance frequency; and second filtering means, receiving the signal from the output of said second mixer means, for substantially passing the output signal component substantially at the original single species response frequency and for substantially attenuating the components of said output signal at the frequencies of at least said local oscillator signal and said desired species response signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said second mixer means adds the frequencies of said local oscillator and excitation signals to obtain the frequency of said output signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said original single species has a gyromagnetic constant greater than the gyromagnetic constant of all other species, and said second means further comprises: lowpass filtering means for substantially attenuating in the response signal to be provided to said second mixer means, any response signal component substantially at the original single species resonance frequency component.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4471305A
Cited
US4329646A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-06-29 | 1990-12-29 | 1991-06-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-06-29 | 1994-12-29 | 1995-06-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-06-29 | 1998-12-29 | 1999-06-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |