Detection of magnetic resonance signals using a magnetoresistive sensor

US8547095B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Dmitry Budker · Corona, US
• Alexander Pines · Berkeley, US
• Shoujun Xu · Houston, US
• Christian Hilty · College Station, US
• Micah Ledbetter · Sunnyvale, US
• Louis Bouchard · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 2, 2010
• Grant date: Oct 1, 2013
• Expiry date: Mar 6, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/56375
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described wherein a micro sample of a fluidic material may be assayed without sample contamination using NMR techniques, in combination with magnetoresistive sensors. The fluidic material to be assayed is first subject to pre-polarization, in one embodiment, by passage through a magnetic field. The magnetization of the fluidic material is then subject to an encoding process, in one embodiment an rf-induced inversion by passage through an adiabatic fast-passage module. Thereafter, the changes in magnetization are detected by a pair of solid-state magnetoresistive sensors arranged in gradiometer mode. Miniaturization is afforded by the close spacing of the various modules.