SQUID detected NMR and MRI at ultralow fields

Patent · Tue Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:1175923

Clarke, John; McDermott, Robert; Pines, Alexander; Trabesinger, Andreas Heinz

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals are detected in microtesla fields. Prepolarization in millitesla fields is followed by detection with an untuned dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Because the sensitivity of the SQUID is frequency independent, both signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral resolution are enhanced by detecting the NMR signal in extremely low magnetic fields, where the NMR lines become very narrow even for grossly inhomogeneous measurement fields. MRI in ultralow magnetic field is based on the NMR at ultralow fields. Gradient magnetic fields are applied, and images are constructed from the detected NMR signals.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 7,116,102
• Application Number: 11/277,550
• OSTI ID: 1175923
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 2006 Mar 27
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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